Hoeing, Cultivating and Removing Blossoms
Our propagating fields are hoed and cultivated repeatedly during the growing season and all blossoms are removed as fast as they appear. We remove the blossoms from the everbearers just as late as we possibly can, but during the fall they blossom so profusely that this would require a small army. At that time however, they are firmly established and have a fully developed root and crown system and are therefore not unfavorably affected by these late blossoms and the few berries which develop.
Spraying
Dangerous insects and dangerously contagious plant diseases are strangers on the Kellogg farm. As precaution against any possible attacks by pests however, Kellogg Pedigree Plants are sprayed frequently during the growing season with Bordeaux mixture, arsenate of lead and lime-sulphur. This prevents the possibility of contamination of any nature.
Mulching
Our plants are mulched for winter to the extent that we are able to obtain material for mulching. The mulching is applied after the first heavy freezing in the winter. This protects the ground against alternate freezing and thawing. The mulching is removed in the spring before the plants are dug.
Digging
Every Kellogg Plant is freshly dug at time of shipment in the spring and practically every plant is packed and on the way to the customer within twenty-four hours after it is dug. We never dig plants in the fall and hold them in storage over winter for spring shipment as we do not believe in this practice and do not have any storage facilities of this nature.
Packing for Shipment
In packing Kellogg Pedigree Plants for shipment, we use only the highest grade sphagnum moss containing a proper amount of moisture. Larger orders are packed in wooden crates. Smaller orders are either wrapped in heavy moisture-proof paper or packed in strong corrugated cartons. Our packing methods are the most scientific and our containers the highest quality we can obtain.