The Llano colonist. [volume] (Llano, Calif.) 191?-1937, 1922-09-02

Thorough cultivation and Ioosening Of
the soil in the allies between the rows
must be practiced, not only to keep
down weeds and grass. but also to COM
Iserye moisture and admit sufficient air
Ito the roots.
Strawberries are very particular in
regard to their water supply. Attic a
very hardy plant in other respects they
Twill not stand drouth. Best results
are obtained with some system of irri-
lgation- sub-irngation preferred. Irri-
lgation is especially valuable during the
season Of transpIanting Casually Octo-
iber in this latitude) and during the
fruiting season-also in event of al
|drouth at any other time. However
strawberry plants should never have
ltheir feet in water. That is. the land
should be welI-drained titled land is
usually best). Free, or gravitational.
water should not be allowed to stand
Iaround the roots at any time.
| Plants used to produce runner plants
for future planting should not be al
lowed to produce fruit-pinch off all
blossom stems. Before plants should
be allowed to bear, they should be
large, strongly-rooted and thrifty.
The resetting should be done sufficient
ly early in the fall to allow for thrifty
growth before poisoning time in the
Ispring. Otherwise their tendency will
be to make large plant growth and
bear fruit at the same time, which pro-
cess will sap the vitality of the plant
, as well as interfere with the production
of fruit. While bearing, all runners
should be removed. Strawberries can
not produce both fruit and new plants
successfully at the same time. Also.
:, just before the blossoming season, the
ground should be we'll mulched in the
allies. This mulching serves a four
, fold purpose conserves moisture, pre-
vents growth of weeds and grass, keeps
the berries out of the dirt and clean,
and in the event Of late frost the
mulch of straw or pine needles may be
, pulled over the rows thus protecting
the blossoms. In this way cultivation
during the bearing season may be dis
pensed with, as cultivation at this time
stimulates plant growth and decreases
the yield of fruit.
1t is advisable NO raise strawberries
intensively, caring well for a small
: plat and thoroughly preparing the soil,
rather than to cover more territory and
be less particular.
When making start in the culture
/ of strawberries, select the variety best
suited to your climate and soil, using
l only strong plants with vigorous root
} systems, and only those known to be
free from disease. Plant from North
ern nurseries are always free from nem-
atodes-a small worm-like organism,
one-twentieth to one-sixteenth OF an
: inch in length, which enters the roots
producing root knot" because these
parasites cannot endure where the soil
freezes to any considerable depth.
|Nematodes do considerable injury to
strawberry fields in the South. They
are easily conquered, however, by the
starvation process. which requires not
more than two seasons. To accomplish
this, it is customary to keep the field
covered with some nematode-fesistant
Infant such as corn, sorghum, peanuts,
velvet beans, or Iron or Brabham cow
Ipeas. -,
Do not reset plants which have pro-
Iduced fruit, or from mother plants that
have produced fruit.
There are two systems of strawberry
IeuIture, both popular in the South
In the matted-row system. the plants
should be set about eighteen inches
lapart in the row, with the rows from
four to four and one-half feet apart;
This provides room for wide matted
row and at the same time allows tor
cultivation in the alleys right up until
1.-The fall after the first crop. In the hill
system the rows can be as close as will
permit the passage Of a narrow cultlva-
tor, and the plants set nine inches Or
foot apart in the row. Or they may
be set so that every three plants form
Ian eouilateral triangle, the plants being
about d inches apart, making the rows
about two feet apart. Then they may
lbe cultivated in three different dlrec-
tons, making unnecessary nearly all
lboeing. When the hill system IS used,
all runners are kept oft.
The matted row system probably
produces the largest amount OF fruit;
but the hill.system produces the larg-
est and best fruit.
Howard Bucks words were listened