Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1911-02-25
AGRICULTURAL NOTES.
Ceannys From the Convention Of the Idaho State Horticultural
Association At Boise Last Week-From Capital News.

| Ne AsuooNh w bSaoCy III Oil au-
dress ON the hill system of straw
berry culture, stated the advantages
Of the hill system, explained his meth
cd of preparation of the land and
planting and gave his experience with
different varieties of Strawberries.
The hill system has several ad-
vantages over the matted row method.
Larger berries are produced. 1t
Is easier to care for the patch and to
cultivate; less water is required and
hence may be kept longer.
i Mr.. Russell sets in July on land
that has already produced crop of
early potatoes. He has prepared old
pasture ground for Strawberries by
plowdng four inches deep in the fall
and again two inches deeper i'm spring
and prepared for the potatoes. These
are dug In time SO that the strawber-
ries may be set about the middle O.
July. Potatoes are "a good crop to
pnecede the Strawberries and this
crop usually brings four cents per
pound BY this method no crop is
lost. He said strawberries may be
grown successfully ON new land.
After the potatoes are dug the
ground is plowed, narrowed, irrigated
and marked The plants are set two
by three feet, this being done in the
forenoon. After dinner the ground
planted is irrigated after being fur
rowed. Following the irrigation the
patch is cross cultivated with horss
The runners are not permitted to
grow. They are trimmed off by mea
of an old shovel.
He said one gets but very few more
berries by spring planting than by sum
mer planting. AS to the life of the
patch he stated that he has taken
off six crops.
1t is very atisfactory and scarce
ly practical to ship in plants for set
ting In July as they usually arrive in
poor condition and propagators will
not ship plants i'm summer and the
frequent dying of the plants then
hurts their regular fail and spring
trade. Mr.. Russell therefore keeps a
propagating bed.
In irrigation the water should not
be kept on too long. He irnigates af-
ter each picking and at such other
times as may be necessary and Gull
tivates two times between each irrigat
tion He has four rows of strawber-
ries between tree rows which are a
rod apart
Mr. Russell placed Glen Mary first
and William Belt second among those
that he tried, He has also grown
Jesse. Warfield,. Clyde and Jumbo.
Glen Mary he has found to be a
great yielder and a good shipper. 1t
will make a fall crop and 1T yielded
$3.50 worth of berries as fall crop
one year. This fall bearing did not
have the effect of injuring its pro-
ductiveness the season following. 1t
should get full ripe before 1t is pick
ed, so. as not to have. the green tip.
However, it must not be too ripe.
It Is the best shipper that Mr.. Russel
has grown and he has found that it
will stand up four days in shipment.
1t ia also an early berry and just as
satisfactory as such as the Anaut
and the Texas, both of which are
early berries that. do not stand UP
well. He does not favor the varIe-
ties that are early sorts only.
The William Belt is the best fla
vored among, the berries that he
grows. 1t LIS a good bearer and ship
per and the best large smooth berry
with which he has had any experience
1t docs not make a fail crop. Mr..
Russell stated that ON clay soils he
would continue to grow the Glen Mar
and William Belt until shown some
thing better. On sandy soils other
varieties may do better,
The Jesse is good fall bearer. 1t
does not yield as heavy as Glen Mary
The Jumbo has not yielded well with
him, and is nota good berry, being
too pale The Clark Seeding has not
done we'll on clay soil, but is alright
on sandy. He did not know the Haver
land. Senator Dunlap loads up too
heavy and the berries are too small,
differing In these respects from the
William Belt
:. In ons instance Mr. Russell re-
ceived $3.50 as the gross income from
one acre. the first crop bringing $500
and the second $3.50. After the first
crop Is harvested he cuts foliage and
rakes 1t off.
Notes on Varieties of Apples