The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-06-11

In a sense the strawberry plant is
an evergreen. Unlike the bush or
tree fruits, it has no wood growth to
ripen. It's leaves do not shrivel in the
fall, and at the touch of frost drop
from the plant, hence it Is but reason
able to suppose that the plant will
have further need of them at some fu-
ture time.
Observing closely, the student of
nature will note that in place Of
ripening, as is the case with bush and
tree fruits, the leaves of the straw
berry plant take on a deeper shade
of green with the advent of autumn,
finally assuming a recumbent posi-
ton.
This is natures method of prepar-
ing this plant for the necessary period
of dormancy.
During this period the forces in
the plant remain inactive. With the
coming of spring, the warm breezes,
sunshine and showers. there is an
awakening-a springing up of new
life.
With the bush and tree fruits this
awakening of pent-up energy first
manifests itself by the swelling of
buds. From these, tiny leaves push
forth, to be followed by the unfolding
and development of blossoms.
In embryonic form leaf and bios
SONS have been tucked away and pro-
tected in a sheath of well ripened
woody growth.
These stored-up forces are protected
against injury from low temperature
up to certain point, depending some
what on atmospheric conditions pre-
vailing at the time and conditions
under which the growth and ripen-
ing of these buds took place.
However, with strawberry plants
there is no swelling and unfolding of
Leaf buds, for each leaf and cluster of
blossoms appear separately and at diff
ferent periods of time.
In place of well-ripened, woody It's
sue, the embryonic leaves and fruit
stems of this plant are protected by
the crown of the plant, which con-
sists of a succulent growth of plant
tissue only.
With such protection, these en-
bryonic leaves and fruit buds are not
fully prepared to undergo the rigors Of
winter, hence additional protection
is required If the plants are to re-
tain their strength and vigor unim-
paired. By looking into the matter
closely, the reason for this may be
very plainly seen.
have said that the leaves Of the
strawberry plant 60 into winter in
green, succulent state, and for this
reason their purpose has not yet been
fully accomplished.
With the advent of spring, and the
awakening of nature, these leaves re-
sumo activities.
The root feeders gather in the ele-
ments of plant food from the soil.
The circulatory system carries this
food to leaf tissues, where, under
the action of sunshine, chemical
change takes place, by which it is
made available for assimilation.
Some of this perfect plant food is
used by these same leaf tissues, but
by far the larger portion is carried
to the crown, there to be used in the
growth and development of new
and larger leaf system.
This being true it will readily be
seen that If the leaves of the present
seasons growth do not pass through
the winter with vitality unimpaired,
an abnormal condition in plant life
will result.
With it's tissues wholly Or partly
dead, the leaves of the plant are I'M
able to resume the functional activi-
ties properly, as would otherwise be
the case.
New leaves may push out from the
crown of such plants, to be sure; but
such growth never possesses that Wig
| orous, nealtny appearance SO cnarac-
teristic Of normally constituted plants.
Nor are the leaves the only part
of the plant that sustains injury
through exposure to winter frosts and
sunshine, for the tissues that COM
pose the crown are injured more or
less by the same thawing and freez-
ing process.
In addition to the injury to the leaf
and crown, as noted, there is, on some
soils, injury done to the root system
through the lifting, heaving action of
| frosts.
Grown on a class of soils that hon
eycomb readily, these surface feeding
plants are often left stranded, so to
speak, their crowns projecting more