Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1914-04-08
GROWING STRAWBERRIES
FOR PROFIT And PLEASURE
What An Acre Of Strawberries Costs-The Profits Dis
cussiOn Of Varieties Cultural Methods
and Planting Directions
sutton College Agriculture West Virginia University


The new strawberry catalogues on
my desk remind me that planting time
is coming There will be thousands OF
home gardens in West Virginia where
the strawberry will be planted. To
those who are not planning the straw
berry patch. should say the way to
begin is to begin"
Cost and Profits in Strawberries.
There are twice as many strawber-
ries consumed by West Virginians as
are produced in the state. We have
the hest of markets here at home
Letters from growers show that the
wholesale price at Charleston aver
ages 10 cents per quart. or SO per 81
quart crate; Shinnston, 10 cents; Graf
ton, 1872 cents; Fairmont, 10 10 15
cents. Professor Wilkinson says. The
cost of production averages about S1.07
per crate. good yield in a normal
year is 5000 quarts, and the fellow
who can not produce 1920 quarts. or
100 bushels, per acre should go out OF
business" Mr. Bicycle, in his berry
book, gives 200 bushels as a good av-
erage yield. Suppose that we take
the minimum yield and increase the
cost OF production to $3.50 per crate.
leaving the net profit $50 per crate.
we would have a net profit OF $3.50 per
acre. This is greater profit than
from ten acres OF corn
Varieties.
The net profit depends as much on
the variety as any other one factor.
In a variety test, SO varieties showed
variation from 14,4O9 quarts per acre
down TO 622 quarts Other valuable
data show similar differences Of yields
Of varieties. The following varieties
are perhaps the most suited and best
tested for West Virginia conditions:
Extra early varieties-August Luther
(perfecU. ST. Louis )p0rfecD. and
Golden Gate (perfecD Extra early
are not usually as satisfactory as the
later. Medium early varieties Sena-
tor Dunlap (perfect. Aroma (perfecO
Eaverland GmperfecD. and Chesa-
peake (perfecD, followed b. Candy
CperfecO. Paul Jones GmperfecO, and
Sample Gmperfect> In selecting va
rieties, be sure to get some Of those
marked perfect, to insure pollination
Of those marked imperfect. which pro
duce no pollen. II the imperfect have
been selected, plant two rows OF them
and one or two rows of perfect
Soil
Any clay loan or sandy loan
well drained and containing an abund-
ance OF organic matter can be made to
produces Strawberries. Newly cleaned
ground IS especially well suited for
strawberry production Fifteen to
thirty loads OF manure per acre will
supply plant food. humus and increase
the water-holdng capacity. thus In
surfing greater yields.
Preparation Of Ground.
Fields having been in sod for years
should be cultivated I'm corn or pota-
toes year or two to kin weed seeds
and especially TO get rid of cut-worms
AID white grubs Newly-cleared land
should be cultivated to corn one year
70 prepare seed bed. Fields having
been cropped until they are unproduc-
tive should not be planted to straw
berries until fertility and humus are
restored. Thorough preparation o.
the plant bed is necessary for best re-
turns
Fertilizers.
Flowing under sguminous crops
or the addition OF fifteen TO
twenty loads per acre Of wellrotted