St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1922-04-22
ST. TAMMANY Is
ASTRAWBERRY
COUNTRY OF
FUTURE
Land Suited to It's Produc-
ton and Early In the
Market
DISEASE GETTING
IN OTHER SECTIONS
New Land Free From Nema-
todes Now a Menace in
the Old Fields
(By A. E. Briggs)

#> st. ldmElduy pdiIoH l4eso eA AtIl
onnortunity now to go into grown.
and shipping straw Wberries. An edl
torial in the Crystal Springs Meteo;
few days ago commented on tht
fact that Hammond competition
drove their growers out Of the straw
berry market. Because of bad man
agement it is not unlikely that very
soon developing diseases will greatly
. limit the strawberry territory in this
section of the country. U. S. F. b
1925 states that strawberry growing
at what was formerly one of The
largest shipping points in the South
is reported to have been given VI
because of nematode injury. New
land is free from nematodes, and We
may experience a great demand fo1
our land if Hammond growers do not
take more care to prevent injury
from this pest, a tiny worm which
causes root knot.
The best growers in Tangipahoa
parish are already protecting them
selves by proper rotation of crops
But there is room for great de-
teopment in the strawberry business
. in the Florida Parishes, for the
market is far from being supplied
Our soil is of the same general types
as those found most desirable for
strawberries in our neighbor1n.
parish
We have an advantage here whicn
Go bo6 in hn hn
ton Of Tangipahoa, as at Ponch l.
toula, where strawberries are several
days earlier and OF finer quality
than those at Hammond. Poncna-
toulas advantage IS due to its near
ness to the lake. The location OF
st. Tammany parish is still better,
because it is warmed by the lake
breezes. Climate, soil, and shipping
facilities are equal or better in our
favor.
As several farmers about Mande-
Vile and elsewhere are planning 70
ra.se strawberries for next spring s
market, the following suggestions
are intended to be helpful to them:
Establishing a Bed-From June Is
to July 10, transplant Well-rooted
runners from mother plants. From
these select the best runner plans
and set them out in the permanent
beds in November.
Setting Plants-Plant on ridges.
Let the soil settle or firm We'll De
fore planting. Set the plant care
lu.ly SO that all roots are covered
but be'coreful not to cover the crown,
else 1t will rot. Before planting cut
Oh roots longer than the little finger
and remove all but one leaf, the new
est one. Press the dirt in ght
around the plant.
Selecting Plants-The best run
Aers tor setting out are those with
small COWS of rather few leaves but
WIN an abundance Of fibrous, light
eolored roots. Dark roots Indicate
oder plants.
Distances for Planting-We think
'ne pest system for this section is
raised bed wide enough for two rows
20 inches apart and 80 inches to
ieet n width in alleys or deep furrow
rant IN the row IL inches apart.
inns system will require about $4,000
p1ants to the acre. Planting in
einsle row three feet between rows
anu loot between plants in the row
", VIII take $4,000 plants to the acre
lne advantages Of the double row
vi each ridge or bed are not only
esonomy Of space, but also makes
oaa as'of picking, mulching, fertilizins
and cultivation,
-. .aertlllzlng-Probably the best fer
oaizer ~ is Well-rotted stable manure,
~ 70 81 tons per acre, applied just
uelole blowing or disked in after
ward. Phosphate improves the color
Guy auu naVor OF the berries, while pot
os! "sn supplies texture and firmness or
Saa.ppins quality, but neither of these
suus ss.' much to the size or quantity OF
a mun Nitrogen is therefore the
on. sse important fertilizer by far. If
,oumefclal ,sll fertilizer is used the fo.-
roMlng proportions are suggested:
N;.satp NJ phosphate ....... 500 pounds
Mm.s' VI soda ....... 200 pounds
1onn VI potash ..... 100 pounds
~, .voo pounds of cottonseed meal may
saAe saa the place of the nitrate of soda,
nnua na instead of acid phosphate 700
pounos NV" OF finely ground bone meal
10y oe used. If nitrate of soda is
abpp.1ed abl1 at blooming time it is valu-
~ me results from commercial fer
Aer ina are likely to be disappoint-
bas there is not considerable
us n,m of organic matter in the so l. |
o. talllvat.e .a frequently, every week
aftas m seu days, and as soon as possible
freo every rain, and shallow. Keep
Ior; from weeds and grass. The
.1,v"ulslana .,v experiment station savr:
that nave repeatedly demonstrated
cn,t.y ns py giving thorough and clean
I'm noa the plants will survive a pro-
Sea ~ drouth, the most severe"
Whit ine most interesting experiment,
81 1,.n ~. mas come to my notice is that |
ont Or M. ~ Chas. Dillenschneider who set
last eeirles e on newly broken sod land !
Rnad a'l at his farm on the Northeast
ordia, Out OF Vaudeville. This is
cut-over land. He set out
continued on page 81
In poea aoALE-1 buggy, $50 cash.
- SOOQ cOn1iti,, -,