Cantaloupes make an ideal crop for rotation because they do not draw heavily upon the fertility of the soil and their viny nature keeps the soil mellow. Two years in strawberries, one year in cantaloupes then back to strawberries, with a legume crop to rest and replenish the soil once every five years, fertilizing each year, makes the very best program of rotation for the strawberry grower.
Any of the legumes—clover, cow-peas, soy beans, velvet beans, vetch or alfalfa, are ideal crops for rotation because they add great quantities of humus and nitrogen to the soil. Vegetables or farm crops also may be used to advantage as rotation crops.
Irrigation
Irrigation is an insurance policy on the crop, therefore, if you are situated so that you can irrigate you will find it highly profitable to do so. One can realize only through actual experience, the increased profits which result from irrigation.
The two systems most generally used are the overhead or sprinkling system and the ditch or gravity system. With the overhead system, the water is applied in the form of a fine rain. With the ditch system, shallow furrows or corrugations are made between the rows into which water is run until the entire ground is wet. The water may be obtained either from a well, lake, river or city supply. It may be applied during the heat of the day if desired without any injury to the crop, however if applied at night the evaporation is less. The ground should be cultivated as soon after irrigation as conditions will permit.
We have in operation on the Kellogg Farm, 120 acres of Skinner Overhead Irrigation which was selected by us as the best after a thorough testing of several different systems. Our experience with Skinner Irrigation has been so satisfactory that we recommend it to our customers with absolute confidence that it will prove equally satisfactory and profitable both for the small home garden and the large commercial strawberry grower. For irrigating the small strawberry or vegetable garden or the lawn and shrubbery, Kellogg’s Rain-Maker, manufactured for us by the Skinner Irrigation Company, is unequalled as it furnishes positive insurance against drouth. For description and price, see [Page 63].
“In the spring of 1920 I set 1,250 Kellogg Pedigree Plants. The varieties were Kellogg’s Premier, Dr. Burrill, Magic Gem, Kellogg’s Prize and Kellogg’s Big Late. Plants made excellent growth until August, when a severe hail storm which caused over $50,000.00 damage in our County, stripped their foliage giving them a serious set-back. In spite of this, they produced 600 quarts of fine berries this season which brought 25 and 30 cents per quart with ready sale. I follow the Kellogg Way and find it most profitable. I intend to order 1,200 more Kellogg Plants in time to be sure of getting them next spring.” James C. Tarrance, Kansas.