The Ordway new era., 1912-08-23

a Paying Crop
BY d. C. ROBERTS

Fine. time to set out the strawberry
bed ii you want fruit next season;
la, ben fine for this because OF the
rain and ditch water. ! have had
much better success from placing
about 700 plants to the rod square.
This will pu, them about g to s inch
C. apart | am aware that this is not
the orthodox mcthod-'.put in rows
S feet apart and from foot to 10
inches apart" By doing this you
will ilavc bed OF Strawberries the
third year-and your first good crop.
Our burning sun is very bad on a
plant standing alone, in fact | have
found my largest berries around the
stray dock or sweet clover that has
carelcssy been LEFT standing, but 4
rank growth OF plants tends to shade
each other. OF course a bed will be-
come too thick in two or three years
and will need thinning. or rcsctting.
Most OF your back yards can spare
a rod square and ii richly fcrtilized
and thoroughly watcrcd with the
hose, ii necessary. will furnish the or
binary famil" with luscious fruit for
the month OF June. But. remember.
TO water your new plants every even
ing for i week or two. and then a
week or two more ii necessary to
keep them growing UP until frost.
Cover them with leaves or straw.
weighted down a little, and wet them
once during the winter ii in dry
season.
No berry yields so beautifully nor
quite so much for the labor. nor is
quite so luscious a> the strawberry.
Tr" 4 few and help me testify. bu,
don't allow Il single weed to steal in
to your domain.
! will admit that >pring is the more
natural time for planting. The full
tide is on then. like the young mans
fancy. and growth is much faster.
but some do not want to wait a year
like the young man. again-and by
thorough attention and 4 l'ttlc, extra
work you can have some fine berries
mex, June.
How can get strawberries in Oc-
tobcr, As soon a, your June crop
is gathered NOV down your plants |
close to the ground. rake off clean
and apply water frequently. and some
time in October you will get a half
crop, but the following year you will
get none You simply draw on the
future. But a good thing to do il
your plants are troubled with any dis
ease. such as red spider or curl leaf.
In this case be sure to burn the. leaves
and trash you rake off.
] hear OF some fine crops of WIN
ter whcat--lo to so bushels to the
acre. Am not surprised. a favora-
bic fall to SOW in was II. and never
have We had such hncsgrain days as
,hcse OF 'I2-cool and damp, and
would better add. no hail. In twcnt.
years OF Ordway farming | have new
.r suffered fifty dollars damage from
,ail. But half a dozen times have
lcard the terrible roar of the icy
pellets as they passed around and
o the north. Now when one CON
;idcrs that it only takes five minutes
o destroy grain crop if in head. he
annot work UP much enthusiasm on
he subject. 1t may hail your alfal-
a into the ground. but another crop
tandS ready to grow. 50 would
,nly advise these crops as "rotatcrs.
30 if you must plant wheat. do it ear
y, October is the month, and ten
'ushcls difference whether it is the
rst or last OF the month. and the
arlicr we can harvest il the less dan
.er from hail or discasc-hot weather
ests.
Here is fine cantaloupc patch that
hould be seeded down next year.
t is in fine condition. mellow and
moist. The first killing frost should
e followed next day or SO with a
ouble discing and seeding with Tur
ey Red wheat at the same time. If
ou wait to plow it NAV get too dry
o germinate the seed and each day is
recious if you expect a ffty-bushel
rop.