Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1922-12-21

Will furnish more moisture than the
elevated and high hill tops.
Clearing and Preparing Your Land.
Clear the land Of stumps, roots and
trash, then burn, and burn thorough
ly. After this pillow, then disc and har-
row as though You were preparing
for a garden. You will discover later
will prove to be one of your most val
liable assets. Remember that planting
land in peas (Brabham or Iron, are
least susceptible to disease) soy beans
or velvet beans, year before setting
.sut dewberry plants is much to be
preferred to setting out in new clear
ing, as your land will be in much bet
ter condition for planting. This meth
cd will save much labor and expense
later on.
Whichever method is used to pre-
pare soil for the plants, finally harrow
the land both ways. You are now
ready for marking out rows. Mark
the rows six feet each way. Straight
rows are preferable to crooked ones,
as manuring, cultivating, stalking and
harvesting is easier In marketing the
crop, you will note that six feet each
way gives more abundant yield in
fruit, better and finer berries in everv
way, particularly so in case of drought.
which we have to contend with more
or less in all sections certain years.
Planting.
Dewberries can be planted in the
tall or winter months, but the earlier
planting is preferable As soon as
the plants are received from the ship
per, usually packed Is and 50 plants
to the bundle, cut the strings, open
the bundles, and with a sharp knife
cut the roots to 8 or 4 inches in
length. Do not mutilate or pull roots
off or leave them exposed to thu sun
and air. Trench them promptly. as
they are liable to heat if left in the
original packages. Cover the roots of
the trenched plants we'll in earth, and
tramp the earth on the roots firmly TO
exclude the air. Do not cover them
up head and ears, but leave part of
the tops exposed. If the soil is dry,
water them.
Plant after the first rain. In planting
make hole with hoe in the check
place previously made, place the plant
either IN the center of the hole or same
side of each hole to keep the rows
straight. Watch this, as straight rows
&c advantageous. Cover the roots with
moist earth, tramp the earth on the
roots we'll to prevent the air from cir
culating around the roots underneath
and cover, leaving the top of the plant
well in sight so it can be seen under
meath and cover, leaving the top of
the plant well in sight so it can be
seen when ready to cultivate. IF the
plants cannot be seen the cu1tivator
may either either cover them too deep
or pull some of them out of ground.
Dewberries should be we'll fortified
when planted. Stable manure is best
when it can be procured, If not. use
cotton seed meal alone, or any good
standard commercial fertilizer; for ex-
ample, one analysis 1873. Use a fork
full OF manure to each vine, or 900 to
l,OOO poonds of cotton seed meal or
other fertilizer to the acre. Do not
put the manure, cotton seed meal Or
fertilizer in the hole with the plant, as
many roots are liable to- be killed bv
the direct contact This may iniure q
portion OF the plants seriously, or NAV
kill some outright. Scatter the manure
or fertilizer on top of the ground, three
or four inches from the center of the
plant, and work into the soil PROMPT
ly.
DO not let the roots of the plants
be exposed to the direct rays of the
sun or the air any length of time. This
exposure of the plants to the sun and
air may be the direct cause of a ooor
stand and should be scrupu1ouslv
avoided. Every plant that dies is a |
clear loss of not only the plant. but
IL months time as we'll.
Dewberries do not require stalking
until the spring of the second year.
Let them run on the ground the first |
year, training them to run one wav. |
This makes cultivation easier. When
lifting the vines about to keep them
in line, use three or four foot stick |
to prevent STOPPING. In this way,
training con be easily and readily ac-
complished without much labor.
Work or cultivate them often. as
this frequent cultivation or stirring the |
soil is inducive to much more rapid
and stronger growth.
Cut your permanent stake seven feet |
long and sharpen them. This sharpen
! ing enables the stakes to take better |
hold in the ground and prevents them
form leaning, which is very objec-
tionable when cultivating or working.
<gfpe stakes should enter the ground |
% to IL inches, the depth depends up
on the distance of the subsoil from
the surface. Good heart pine stakes
can be procured all over the Sandhi1ls.