310 "Wisconsin State Hoeticultueal Society. 



of strawberry. Five plats, fourteen hundred and thirty square 

 feet in size, received the following fertilizers : 



Plat one. — 15 pounds of superphosphate (12 per cent, soluble 

 phosphoric acid) and 5 pounds of nitrate of potassa. 



Plat two. — 5 pounds of nitrate of potash and 10 pounds of 

 calcined kieserite (crude sulphate of magnesia). 



Plat three. — 15 pounds of superphosphate of lime, 5 pounds of 

 nitrate of potash, and 10 pounds of kieserite. 



Plat four. — Received nothing. 



Plat five. — 15 pounds of superphosphate of lime, 5 pounds 

 soda saltpetre (Chili saltpetre), and 5 pounds of muriate of potash. 



The fertilizers were partly applied in the fall, partly in the 



early portion of spring ; the fruits were collected in the second 



year, after applying the first fertilizer. The following is the 



analysis of the ashes of the Downing strawberry raised upon the 



above-stated five plats : 



I. 11. III. IV. V. 



Potassium oxide 62.13 56.72 61.81 58.47 62.39 



Calcium oxide 12.57 14.12 12.21 14.64 12.46 



Magnesium oxide 5.96 3.29 6.00 6.12 6.33 



Ferric oxide 2.32 5.77 3.64 3.87 2.50 



Phosphoric acid 17.02 20.10 16.84 17.40 16.43 



100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 

 The changes in the organic portions of the fruit raised upon the 

 various plats will be studied the coming season, if time permits. 

 As the mineral constituents of the berries show similar changes 

 in relative proportion to those noticed in the previous experiments 

 with grape vines, it is to be assumed that similar changes in the 

 organic matter, and thus in the quality of the fruit, will be found. 

 The lime has decreased, and the potassa has increased, in plats 

 one, three, and five, as compared with that in plat four. 



The unfertilized plants in plat two form apparently an excep- 

 tion ; yet the result may find a satisfactory explanation by the 

 well known peculiar action of the sulphate of magnesia in send- 

 ing the potassa rapidly to the subsoil, and thus beyond the reach 

 of the roots of those plants which feed on the surface soil. Ac- 

 cepting this explanation, we have to assume that the presence of 

 the superphosphate of lime (see No. 3) counteracts that tendency 

 of the kieserite. 



