The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-04-08
STRAWBERRIES FOR HOME USE
Suggestions for Growing as Large a
Crop as One Needs

w. II. Huff of Waldo county, Me,
contributes to the New England Home
stead an article on strawberry rails.
suits of 16-years' experience. The
best soil. he writes, is well-drained
loan, but strawberries may be grown
on almost any land where surface
water does not stand, heavy clay be
ing the least desirable. By heavy ap-
plieations of farm manure and com
mercial fertilizer supplemented by
frequent cultivation they may be pro
duced on even clay land. | always
use land that has been in hoed crop
three years, which eliminates the
white grub, the most formidable enc.
my of the strawberry grower. The
grub Is almost always present in
grass sod, requiring three years to
complete its life cycle in the soil, and
If present in large numbers will make
sad havoc among the plants. If the
soil is not already rich with organic
matter it should be given a heavy APP
plication of manure in fall or winter,
TO be plowed under in spring plow
just deep enough to nicely cover man
ure, not to exceed five inches. The
strawberry does not root deep.
The best time TO set the plants is
as early as ground is in condition to
work. Plants should be secured as
near home as convenient of variety
known to scceed in your locality. Per
haps ii is best to tell the nursery
man you want strawberries for home
use and trust selection of yarities to
him. / use for main crop the Bubach
imperfect and Uncle Jim, a perfect
Towering plant. But they require the
highest cultivation and everyone does
not succeed with them.
Plants should be set carefully so
when land is leveled the roots will be
nicely covered, but part OF crown
above ground. If the crown is buried
in soil it will never do well and
great percentage of plants so set will
die. When hoeing If see a plant set
too high work the dirt toward the
plant, and if too low, with my fingers
work the soil away from the crown.
In this way mistakes in setting can BE-
partially overcome. Immediately az
ter plants are set l cultivate rows and
hoe around plants, which loosens the
soil that has been packed in setting;
it also forms a mulch to retain mois.
ture all through the growing season
Frequently cultivation and hoeing are
essential. In hoeing the land should
always be kept level. When plants
commence running | narrow the cult
vator an inch or two at time, and at
the end Of the growing season have
a space IL to IA inches between rows.
This leaves a wide matted row, which
is the only way i can raise strawber-
ries successfully. Four out of Eve
years we have frost at blossoming
time. In this wide row the foliage
covers most OF the bloom In the Hill
system most of the fruit stems are
thrown outward away from the foil.
age and the bloom is sure TO be des-
troyed by frost If ii occurs.
The plants should be mulched when
ground is frozen so team can be |
driven over 1t, except If the first hard
freeze should occur before the last |
week in November, 1t would not be |
safe to mulch then. For If two weeks |
OF warm weather should come after |
mulching the plants might start |
Then they could smother
which would injure II not destroy |
them. In spring mulch should be re. |
moved when plants begin growth. If |
plants remain under mulch after they |
begin to grow the crop of berries will |
be reduced in proportion to the |
amount Of bleaching that takes place.
With a pitchfork ! part the mulch |
over center of row and draw II into |
the cultivated space, where it re.
mains until after picking, TO keep Der.
ries clean and conserve moisture. II |
each point | have mentioned is at.
tended to in proper season one is al
most assured of lots of berries. |
nave not failed of generous crop in
l6 years.