The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-01-28
(Ry M. N. EDGERTONN

In a sense the strawberry plant is
an evergreen. Unlike the bush or
tree fruits, it has no wood growth to
ripen. Its leaves do not shrivel in the
fall, and at the touch of frost drop
from the plant, hence 1t 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 we'll 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 oi
blossoms appear separately and at diff
ferent periods of time.
In place of well-ripened, woody tbs
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 q protection, these EN-
bryonic leaves and fruit buds are not
fully prepared to undergo the rigors oi
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 go into winter II
a green, succulent state, and for this
reason their purpose has not yet beer
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, undel
the action of sunshine, a chemica
change takes place, by which it II
made available for assimilation.
Some of this perfect plant food II
used by these same leaf tissues, bu
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 b.
seen that if the leaves of the presen
seasons growth do not pass through
the winter with vitality unimpaired
an abnormal condition in plant lifC
will result.
With its tissues wholly ore partl!
dead, the leaves of the plant are un
able to resume the functional activi
ties properly, as would otherwise bC
the case.
New leaves may push out from thu
crown of such plants, to be sure; bu
such growth never possesses that Wig
orous, healthy appearance SO charac
teristic Of normally constituted plants
Nor are the leaves the only par
of the plant that sustains injur!
through exposure to winter frosts ant
sunshine, for the tissues that com
pose the crown are injured more O.
less by the same thawing and freez
ing process.
In addition to the injury to the lea
and crown, as noted, there is, on SOM
soils, injury done to the root system
through the lifting, heaving action o
frosts.
Grown on a class of soils that hon
eycomb readily, these surface feeding
plants are often left stranded, SO t,
speak. their crowns projecting NOR