Part 23

THE PRIZE-WINNER AND MONEY-MAKER]

The Million Dollar Strawberry]

In setting plants, make a small “V” shaped opening in the soil, place the roots straight down into this opening holding the crown slightly above ground level and press the soil firmly against the roots.

Kellogg’s All-Metal Corrugated One-Piece Dibble (see page 63) is an ideal tool for setting plants or an ordinary spade will answer the purpose. With a dibble, the setting can be done by one person while it requires two persons if a spade is used. One makes the opening with the spade and presses the soil against the roots and the other places the plant into the opening.

It is a very simple matter to set strawberry plants. Simply use the same judgment as in setting vegetable or flower plants.

Cultivation

Cultivation should begin as soon as plants are set and when soil conditions will permit, should be continued every week or ten days throughout the entire growing season. Never cultivate when the soil is wet but cultivate as soon as the ground can be worked after each rain. Stir the soil to a depth of about two or three inches going as close to the rows as possible and complete the cultivation by hoeing shallow directly around the plants and in the rows where the cultivator teeth do not reach.

Thorough cultivation prevents the formation of crust, keeps the ground free from weeds and promotes plant growth. During dry periods repeated shallow cultivation will prevent the escape of moisture and thereby bring the plants through a long period of drouth in good condition. You will experience very little loss from drouth if you put these instructions into practice.

Filling In Vacancies

Every bare spot in your strawberry rows reduces your profits. If for any reason an occasional plant should fail to grow, these vacant places should be filled in as soon as possible to form unbroken rows thereby making every square foot of your ground contribute its full share toward the crop.

In spots where only one or two plants are missing, the vacancy may be filled by allowing the adjoining plants to form the necessary runner plants and layering them in the proper place. If however, the spot is of considerable length, it is advisable to allow several plants to develop runners and reset these runner plants in filling the vacancies. The proper time for doing this work is in the early fall after a good shower. In resetting the runner plants for this purpose, a clump of soil should be taken up with the roots and care exercised not to disturb the roots so that there will be no check in the growth of the plant.

If these simple instructions are carefully followed, you will have perfectly filled rows.

Removing Blossoms and Runners

Plants will begin to blossom soon after they are set. The blossoms or fruiting stalks of all standard varieties should be pinched or cut off throughout the first year. This strengthens the plants by preventing exhaustion which results from early pollen secretion and seed production. It is very important that this be done as early as possible to relieve the plants of unnecessary strain. This work is easily and quickly done and is usually necessary only once or twice. (See also “The Everbearers” Page 58.)

The runners also should be removed in accordance with the system you wish to follow.

Spraying for Insects and Plant Diseases

For all insects which work upon the foliage either eating or folding the leaves, pour sufficient water over three pounds powdered arsenate of lead to make a paste and continue adding water until it becomes a creamy solution. Pour this into fifty gallons of water and mix thoroughly before spraying. For small gardens use at the rate of one ounce of the powdered arsenate of lead to each gallon of water.

For rust or leaf-spot which may be detected by reddish, rusty-looking spots which destroy the leaf cells, use Bordeaux mixture made as follows:

Suspend a coarsely woven sack containing four pounds blue vitriol into twenty-five gallons of water so that the vitriol in the sack will float on the surface of the water. Put four pounds lump or hydrated lime into a bucket and pour over it hot water, stirring until you have three gallons of creamy mixture. Pour this into twelve gallons of water, then combine this lime solution with the vitriol solution and the result is a Bordeaux mixture known as 4-4-40 solution. Mix thoroughly before spraying. This is a preventive rather than a cure and should be used at the first appearance of any leaf-spot.

The presence of black ants indicates that aphides or root lice are working upon the roots. Repeated cultivation and hoeing are the best remedies.

White grubs which eat off the roots of plants causing them to wilt and die can be destroyed only by digging about the roots of the wilted plants and killing the grub. While this may not always save the affected plant, it will prevent the grub from doing further damage. Late fall plowing is the best preventive against root lice, white grubs, and all other underground insects.

For mildew which causes the leaves to cup or curl and the leaf-stems to become dark, use lime-sulphur at the rate of three gallons to sufficient water to make fifty gallons. The lime-sulphur can be obtained from any manufacturer of spray materials. It is put up in small cans and fifty gallon barrels, and as it deteriorates with age or by freezing, enough for one season only should be purchased when ordering.

For smaller areas, prepare at the above rate in amounts determined by the area you have to spray.

These remedies may be applied with small hand-spray machines or large power sprayers.

(NOTE: Avoid spraying when plants are in blossom or while berries are ripening.)

Kellogg Pedigree Plants are sprayed frequently throughout the entire growing season to insure absolute freedom from all insects and plant diseases. Our plant fields are kept free from contamination of this nature and every shipment which leaves our farm is likewise free from insects and disease. We are giving the foregoing instructions for spraying simply that you may be familiar with the proper course to follow should any pest find its way into your field after plants are set.

Kellogg Pedigree Plants themselves furnish as strong insurance as can be had against the possibility of having to spray either for insects or diseases.

Mulching