The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-05-12

~ HE home garden is never COM
plete without good strawberry
bed. or all the fruits that are
produced. there are none more lucious
or satisfactory than homegrown
strawberries. 1t surely deserves the
name of king Of the small fruits, be-
ing grown in every state in tn Union.
ind on almost all kinds Of soils. There
is no fruit more cosmopolitan as to
it's conditions of soil and climate o.
that gives as quick or as large re-
turns per acre as the strawberry.
Young. vigorous plants should be
selected in starting the new bed
plants that have never borne q crop
and that are strong. vigorous and free
from disease
Although the strawberry will not
thrive on poorly drained site, 1t de-
lights in soil that is cool and retenta-
tive OF moisture. If the soil Is in
clined to be light, heavy application
Of well-rotted manure will greatly i'm
prove IL.
Many people think that the straw.
berry should be planted in July or
August and satisfactory crops obtain
ed the coming year, but at this season
OF the year the days are hot and the
soil too dry to obtain satisfactory
stand of plants, and but little growth
will be produced before the following
spring. 1t is advisable then to plant
early in the spring. when the condt-
lions Of growing are more favorable,
that a good stand of plants NAV be
obtained for fruiting the coming
spring.
The strawberry plant Is very par
| tial as to depth in transplanting. IT
planted too deep or too shallow the
plant Will die. Set the plant firmly in
the soil, with the roots well spread
and the crown of the plant even with
the top of the soil.
There are various systems used in
growing strawberries. The matted row
| system, where the plants are set about
| 18 inches apart in the row and the
| rows from three to four feet apart.
the plants being allowed to form
solid mat a foot or two wide, is the
| most common system.
The hedge row system gives larger
and better berries. although requiring
| a little more care. Here the plants
are set about Is inches apart In the
row and each plant allowed to pro-
| duce two runners, one running up and
one down the row. thus forming
| single hedge of plants. There are
many notifications of this system.
Some double the hedge, making a
double hedge by allowing four runners
per plant or planting two rows
Whatever form of this system is used,
the rows are placed only sufficient
distance apart to allow of cultivation
The hill system, where each plant
is placed far enough apart to allow of
cultivation both ways without pro-
ducing runners, is sometimes used. but
does not produce enough fruit to make
it paying proposition.
There is no crop that needs more at.
tention as to cultivation than the
strawberry Deep cultivation and the
want Of cultivation ruins many
patches annually. The plants require
bountiful supply of moisture, and
are very shallow-rooted. Deep cult
walton tares the roots, while a few
hot, dry days will kill the plants or
seriously check them unless kept cult
waited. Cultivate very regularly, but
very shallow.
In the fall, after the ground is
frozen, mulch of straw, marsh hay,
pine needles or other suitable material
should be applied. This prevents the
alternate freezing and thawtng of the
plants, checks the growth of the
plants in the spring and keeps the
berries clean during the ripening sea-
son.
Strawberry beds should be renewed
each year or every two years, as the
young plants are the most productive.
Sometimes after the crop has been
harvested from a patch the first sea.
son, it may be plowed up, leaving only
narrow strips of young plants to re-
new the bed. The strawberry patch,
however managed, will seldom prove
profitable after the second crop.
A few of the standard varieties for
Michigan are as follows:
Early.
Michel's Early (Per.l.
Clyde (Per).
Midsummer Varieties
Glen Mary (Per).
Senator Dunlap (Per).
Buback Qmp).
Haverland Qmp).
Late Varieties.
Aroma (Per).
Sample Qmp).
Brandywine (Per.).
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