The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-09-24
GROWING STRAWBERRIES
IN THE HOME GARDEN

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have a few strawberries is difficult to
conceive. The space required to pro-
duce berries sufficient to add mater
tally to any families pleasure in life
Is not large. Not many families have
many strawberries during the season
if they do not grow them at home.
Then why not grow them? Almost any
soil will grow them if it is not too wet
or a burning sand. Soil on which to-
matoes, potatoes, cucumbers, peas.
beans, or corn have grown this year
will grow strawberries.
I would not hurry and try to get
them planted this fall. In our eli
mate, where so much freezing and
thawing occurs during the winter and
early spring, it is better to plant in
early spring rather than in fall or
even in August.
Prepare the land in the late fall
by forking in well rotted stable man
ure, hen manure or any we'll decom-
posed vegetable matter. This can then
be worked up by rake in the spring,
say the latter part of April or first
days of May and made ready for
planting. If the plants can be secur-
ed from nearby neighbor, get them.
as usually they will be the variety that
will succeed best on your soil.
Be careful not to get caught by
planting unknown varieties which are
advertised with glowing descriptions.
These varieties may be all that is
claimed for them under the soil and
climatic conditions Of : thousand
miles away, but on your soil and I'M
der your conditions they may be
worthless. There are a few varieties
which have done fairly we'll at least
under varying conditions Of climate
| and soil. Many of these might not be
considered an ideal market berry but
answer very well for the home garden.
Howard No. IT is the best we have
tested at the college for ten years. The
variety is not common, however, and
! the plants are scarce. The college
could spare a few plants each to sew
eral people. Mr.. C. E. Chapman of
North Stonington has a few and there
are few more people in Connecticut
who have them. It is of perfect bios
som. The Arlington, Parsons, Beauty.
Glen Mary and Senator Dunlop have
proven good, are all perfect blossom
and quite common. Haverland is good
but has imperfect blossoms. Prob
ably all these would be benefited if
! planted with another variety in an adj
Joining row.
In preparing the plants for setting,
all the leaves except two, of the
healthiest should be removed. Do not
injure the crown of the plant in doing
this. Grasp the plant by two fingers
and pull sideways to remove leaves
not wanted. Roots as well should also
be shortened in most varieties.
Depth. In setting, the crown should
be just level with the top of the
ground. Do not set so shallow that
the crown is way above the ground
and do not double up the. roots. A
board about three feet long, three or
four inches wide and sharpened into
paddle makes a good instrument for
making the holes. Thrust this into the
ground about four inches, then push
forward on the top Of the handle, thus
making an opening. Let the roots of
the plant into this opening till the
crown is even with the surface of the
ground, then fill and firm soil around
/ plant, but do not bury crown or leave
1t elevated above the surface. In the
one case it will be covered and smoth-
cred and in the other it will dry out
and die. The plants may be about
eighteen inches apart in the rows and
the rows from three to four feet.
Soon after setting, begin cultivation,
which need not be deep, but just
enough to keep the surface of the
ground well loosened up, thus keeping
down weeds and conserving the mois-
ture. When the new plants (runners)
begin to be thrown, they may be laid
around in the rows when a quite
| thickly matted row, about one foot
wide is formed. If this Is formed toe
wide or the plants are too thick the
1 Berries will be smaller and picking
will be more difficult. When the row
has thickened sufficiently the runners
that are thrown out afterward should
be cut off, thus checking the forma-
ton of more plant, giving more foo6
to those which have formed. This will
make stronger plants which in turr
insures a larger and better crop. Con
tinue cultivation as long as weeds con.
tinue to grow.
When the ground has become froz
| en- hard, some sort of cavering o.
coarse material should be thrown ovel
the whole plant covering the plants tt
a depth of several inches. This pro
tects the plants from heaving during
those periods when the soil thaws and
also retards blossoming in the spring
SO that an untimely late frost will no
catch them. When the plants hav,
commenced growth in the spring, thi
mulch should be thrown aside, tn,
Bull CoIA1tdLC0y anu IAiO AilaSIAt P1dSCt
between the rows of plants to keel
the ripening fruit free from sand
Lawn cuttings saved and dried durin,
the summer form a good mulch ma
erial. Leaves if they can be held on
oat, wheat or rye straw or even buck
wheat straw may be used for mulch
Marsh hay may be used If cut befor'
the seeds have formed.
In picking be careful that the Who'll,
cluster is not broken off and the yielt
thereby materially reduced. The bes
method of picking is to cut the stem
about one-fourth inch from the berry
by using the thumb nail. This save
the hull and prevents in a measure tn,
berry souring If you desire to keep fol
several hours before using. Some PEG
pie think they are sweeter and of bet
ter flavor II well kept for severa
hours before being used.
After the picking season has pass
ed, fork over the space between tn,
rows with a. spading fork. All dis
eased plants should be removed. ami
the space around the plants worket
l up. The old leaves should be cut of
and destroyed. The plants will the1
start a new growth and new plan
runners will occupy the space between
the rows. Some growers to renew
their beds allow new plants to becom
rooted in this inter row space, thel
ovar the old roUa thing havip.