Part 24

Mulching protects the plants during the winter, retains moisture in the soil, keeps down weed growth during the fruiting season and keeps the berries clean.

In cold climates mulching is necessary to protect the plants during alternate freezing and thawing. If not mulched this expansion and contraction breaks off the fine roots and greatly weakens the plants.

Any material such as oat, wheat or rye straw, marsh hay, shredded corn fodder, or coarse stable manure makes ideal mulching, or leaves will serve the purpose. It should be spread over the field or garden in the early winter soon after the first freeze, covering the plants and ground to a depth of about three inches. If stable manure is used it should be applied thinner, spreading the strawy matter directly over the rows of plants and the fine material between the rows.

In the spring as soon as the frost leaves the ground, remove the mulching which lies directly over the rows to the spaces between the rows. This permits the plants to grow without any obstruction.

In warm climates where freezing is very light, it is unnecessary to cover the plants. Simply apply the mulching between the rows and under the foliage, forming a bedding for the berries to ripen upon.

Mulching adds materially to the strawberry crop and gives the grower bright, clean berries which are in big demand at fancy prices.

Picking

The proper method of picking strawberries is to leave about one inch of the stem attached to the berry. This adds greatly to the appearance, shipping and keeping qualities of the berries thereby making it possible to obtain higher prices.

Unless absolutely necessary, never pick berries when the plants are wet from dew or rain as berries picked when the vines are dry remain fresh and retain their lustre much longer.

The berries should be graded by putting each grade into separate boxes when picking. This eliminates the expense of re-handling and prevents unnecessary bruising when packing.

Packing

The top layer in each box should be arranged in rows so as to present an attractive appearance and make the top as level as possible. This requires but little time and adds greatly to their appearance.

Long berries should be packed on their side while round or top-shaped berries present the best appearance packed with the calyx and stem down. The boxes should then be carefully placed into the crates.

Placards posted in garages and at gasoline filling stations will be read by hundreds of automobile owners with the result that you will find it easy to dispose of your entire strawberry crop right at the patch. Try this simple, inexpensive advertising.]

Berries of high quality packed in this manner will soon establish a reputation for the grower which will greatly increase his profits.

Marketing

Your selling plan should be governed by local conditions. If you have a large acreage, it is advisable to sell to grocers while if your acreage is small and you can devote time, it is more profitable to sell direct to the consumer. In either case you should adopt a trade-name for your berries and label your crates and boxes so that the public will become acquainted with your name and particular brand of berries. Large placards should be placed in stores where your berries are for sale and by also placarding garages and gasoline filling stations, many buyers can be brought direct to your patch. Small advertisements in local papers are also effective.

The Big, Solid Beauty]

the =BIG= EVERBEARING WONDER]

Preparing for Second Crop

Strawberry plants should not be permitted to fruit more than two years.

After the first crop has been picked, the foliage of standard varieties should be mowed off and removed from the patch. The rows should then be narrowed down by plowing a furrow from each side of the row leaving a ridge or back-furrow between the rows. This should be worked down with harrow and cultivator until the furrows have been filled and the ground again made level. A spike-tooth harrow may be used but the teeth should be set with a back slant so as not to tear out the plants when crossing the rows. In small gardens this work may be done with spade and garden rake. Continue working the ground until the surface is smooth. This will slightly cover the crowns and the plants which remain in the rows will soon come up through the fine covering of soil. Apply a top-dressing of manure, continue to cultivate the same as the first year, and your second crop will be fully as profitable as the first.

After fruiting the second year plow the plants under and plant the ground to some other crop at least one year before again setting to strawberries.

The Everbearers

The everbearers are so exceedingly productive and their fruiting season covers such a long period that it is absolutely necessary that the soil contain an abundance of plant-food and berry building material.

A heavy dressing of manure should be plowed under and thoroughly worked into the soil before plants are set and a top dressing of manure applied soon after setting, spreading the coarse material close around the plants under the foliage to serve as mulching when they begin fruiting.

The season the plants are set, all blossoms should be removed from Superb and Peerless until the latter part of June and from Perfection and Progressive until the early part of July, after which they may be allowed to fruit to full capacity. They should then fruit heavily until freezing weather. The following year they will fruit abundantly from early summer until late fall with the exception of a short rest period during July.

The everbearers may be grown either hill, single-hedge or double-hedge row system, but the hill system has proved the most profitable. It is unnecessary to mow the foliage off the everbearers although this may be done if desired the second year after the early summer crop has been picked, when the plants enter their rest period. If this is done prepare the bed the same as for standard varieties.