St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1912-08-03
STRAWBERRY
GROWING FOR.
ST.TAMMANY.
Plan of Whitaker Riggs to
Grow Them Shaping Up.
Organization of Strawberry
Growers is PERFECTED.
Capt. G. E. Millar President,
R. L. Aubert Secretary.
Committee Reports Inter-
views at Pontchatoula.
Committee Reports Inter.
views at Pontchatoula.

The st. Tammany Strawberry As
|sociation was organized last Satur-
day, July q. This organization was
the result of the agitation OF the
question by Mr.. Whit. Riggs, and
the work of Mr.. Robt. L. Aubert.
the secretary. The meeting, which
was held in the court house, was we'll
ATTENDED, and there seems to be good
reason to believe that quite an acre
age will be planted in strawberries
the coming season. Capt. G. E..
Millar was elected president and r
L. Aubert secretary.
The following executive committee
was elected:
Executive Committce-E. J. Do
mergue, Jr., E. G. Davis, Harvey E.
Ellis, Judge ThOs. M. Burns, H. B.
Pruden, Whitaker RIGGS, G.. E. Mil
lar, R. l.. Aubert.
Initiation fee was made $1.OO.
No dues.
There are now ~ members, nearly
all of whom have agreed TO plant
one acre or more in berries during
the coming season.
Following is the report Of the COM
mittee, composed of Capt. G. E. Mil
lar, of Abita Springs, and Robt. L.
Aubert, of Covington, who went to
Hammond and Independence to gath
er information regarding the culture
of strawberries, to-wit:
On Thursday, July25, 1912, We
went to Hammond and IHdepend-
ence to interview the strawberry
growers there.
At independence we called on Mr..
c. l.. Buck to whom we had been re-
ferred. We found Mr.. Buck to be
man of culture and education and
who was we'll prepared to give us all
the information desired. He has
made study of strawberry growing
and at one time had 125 acres in
berries alone. At this time he has
number of acres in berries, but does
not grow them to the exclusion of
everything else. He finds, that with
a large acreage and at some seasons
the scarcity of labor, that it pays him
better to diversity. Mr.. Buck show
ed us a patch of corn nearly matured
and stated that he intended to plant
berries between the stalks and when
the corn matured and dried he would
cut the stalks off near the ground
and would then raise crop Of ber.
ries on the same land.
This is the manner Mr.. Buck goes
about planting:
In September, October, November
and until December 18th, berries can
be planted. The September and
October berries would, under proper
weather conditions, probably prove
the best yielders. 1t has been his
experience though that it is the be-
ginning of November before weather
conditions are best. He finds October
a very dry month as a rule and ber-
r!es should be set out in wet weather
to insure success. He says-ard we
are ais" H. e by q number of
other grOwers-that the plants can
be set out low and these plants will
grow suckers and form other plants
which can be taken up in October,
November end beginning of Decem-
ber and planted out, this, without
injuring the first planting. Mr..
Buck explained fully how to proceed
with the preparation of the soil for
planting. this We will explain verb
ally.
He plants in rows 3h feet apart
and berry plants 10 to IL inches
apart. 1t will take about $4,000
plants to the acre and these plants
can be bought for $500 per 1000,
and possibly cheaper in larger guam
titles. He plants the ''Klondike"
variety only and this is the standard
berry of the Strawberry Belt. It
has proved best for shipping as It
keeps longer than any other variety
yet planted with success.
One man can plant from 5000 to
5000 plants in day It goes very
much faster with a boy assistant.
Mr.. Buck roughly estimates that
We can cultivate berries here in st.
Tammany parish at the following
cost per acre II q number Of acres
arc cultivated at same time.
Labor ............... 5000
Fertilizer ...-..., 1000
Plants ........... z4.0O
Crates, boxes, picking
and packing ...... 1900
Total 1O7.OO
This based ON yield of 100 crates