The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1921-06-16
HOW TO KEEP
UP BERRY YIELD
Georgeson Gives Suggestions
for Preventing Against
Short Crop Years

Special attention to few points
in strawberry production would have
marked effect in avoiding a light crop
such as was experienced this year; the
more important points being-the hu-
mus supply, the use of fertilizers and
the length of time it is profitable to
keep a strawberry bed.
In Benton county sufficient hu-
mus supply might be considered the
foundation of profitable crop produc-
ton. Since humus cannot be success
fully added to strawberry bed, once
the plants have been set out, care
must be taken to see that generous
supply of humus-forming material is
put into the soil before planting.
IF stable manure is available at
least twenty tons per acre should be
applied the fall before planting and
ployed under. Then the land should
be plowed less deeply the following
spring and thoroughly narrowed be-
fore any planting is done.
When stable manure cannot be OBJ
tained, a green manure crop should
be used. Alfalfa, soy beans. field peas
or hairy vetch are suitable for this
purpose. In the case of spring plowed
alfalfa two blowing should be made
to insure that none will be left to in
terfere. with the berrv plants. Ut
would be well worth while where alfal-
ia land is to be broken and set to
strawberries to harvest only the first
and second cuttinos, leavino the third
to he turned under, In this case 1T
would probablv be best to plow both
in the fall and snring.
A shorter rotation than is usuallv
rracticad here would. be more profit
able. Three crops from he'd should
he the limit and in manv eases it
might he wiser to take only two, and
then p,ow out the berries and p'ant
something else. The reasons for this
are two: First. after three wears the
humus supply is so depleted that the
chances are greatly against the next
crop being profitable; second. a short
rotation has the ADVANTAGE of avoid
inc losses from pests and diseases.
Strawberries in this county should
he looked upon as truck cron and
the plants forced to the limit With
+his in mind, some commercial ferti-
lizer will be needed. In order to as
sist new beds TO nut out STRONG run
ners It is profitable to use 400 or 500
mounds of complete fertilizer during
the first summer. one carrying 2 per
cent nitropen. 8 per cent phosphnric
acid and per cent potash. This
should be hroad-casted or drilled in
on both sides of the row and well
mixed with the soil so that the runners
will md plentv of available plant food
at hand when thew take hold. A large
part of the strawberry beds are Az
lowed to. become too thick and matted.
so that the n'ants do not have suffi-
cient room. This results in too larue a
prorortion of small berries. In fully
established matted row the plants
should not be closer than five to sew
en- inches. The Young plants ought
not to bear fruit the first season nor
set too many runners; seven to a
plant being a good average. Since
the first runners are the strongest
they should be the ones kent. 1t
goes without saving that the new bed
should he kept clear of cheat and 9TH
er weeds. n.
In the late fall or early winter ap..
ply about 600 pounds per acre OF
tankage with a 6 per cent to 3 per
cent nitrogen content. Tankage so