Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1913-06-24

acre orsen proves OF great vaIue. II
1t can be applied In solution 1t VIII
give quicker results than II put on In
the form of a salt II the fertility OF
the soil is little more than sufficient to
support this plant when the heavy
strain of fruit production comes on the
plant will only perfect the number or
fruits Its food supply will allow; hence
the advantage of applying quickly
available plant foods just at this crit
ical time.
Plants with small crowns-t e.,
moderate growth of leaves-and with
an abundant development OF hbrous
roots are the most desirable. If the
leaf area seems TO be too great for the
root system of the plant the removal
of two or three of the older leaves Will
prove an advantage.
Horticultural varieties of strawber-
ries occur with imperfect TOR pistillatel
flowers as we'll as with perfect how-
ers (those containing both stamens ana
pistilsI. It is important that the plant
er give careful attention to this point
In making his plantation. as patch
made up OF pistillate sorts alone Will
be unproductive, while many such
sorts when properly interspersed with
perfect fiowered varieties have proved
to be our largest fruited sorts and most
prolific bearers. There is no way OF
distinguishing the perfect from the
imperfect plants when not in bloom.
When to Set the Plants.
There are several considerations
which govern the time and manner or
setting strawberry plants. The time
to plant depends in humid regions more
upon the rainfall than upon any other
factor. Ii there are not timely rains
at the planting season to give the
plants an opportunity to establish
themselves the stand will be uneven
with the result that more work Will be
required to keep the land free from
weeds and more trouble will be neces-
sary to get the blank spaces occupied
by runners from the plants that sur
viye. The plants that Withstand the
drought are checked and dwarfed.
They seldom recover so as to make
either satisfactory choppers or plant
producers. 1t is most satisfactory and
most economical, therefore, TO cnoose
that season which offers most advan'
tages at planting time, other things be-
ing equal. In general there are only
two seasons for planting spring ano
fall-but in some localities spring plant
ing should be done In April or May by
the use of the preceding seasons
nlants. while in others it may be done
in June from the crop of runners oi
the same season.
In irrigated regions planting can b'
done at whatever season the work vii
give best results In future crop pro
duction. In humid regions rainfall Il
determining factor. In the northern
half of the prairie region west OF tn
Mississippi spring planting gives Des
results. In the middle Atlantic state
the work is divided between sprlnI
and August planting, with the balanc
in favor of the latter in some local.
ties. In New England the work l
chiefly confined to the spring months
although there are enthusiastic adVc
Gates of fall planting. In coast state
south of New York August and Ser
tember planting Is most extensivel
practiced, particularly upon the NOR
retentive soils. In the trucking regio
on the islands about Charleston, s. y
spring planting is extensively pra'
ticed. as 1t results in paying crop tn
following year, while only small Gro
: can be harvested from fall set plant
On these quick soils the plant can 3
grown as an annual, and farthe
south. in Ganrgia and Florida the IN