84 AGRICULTURE OK MAINE. 



berry fairly well in any reasonably cultivable soil. A very heavy 

 soil, standing in water, or a very light soil which will persist in 

 drying up as the berry conies on, of course will not grow good 

 strawberries, but in between is a large variety of soils which 

 can be used with good results. As a rule, the early varieties do 

 better on a light soil, and the late varieties do better on the heavy 

 soils. 



The preparation of the soil is the first and most important 

 subject, and while we are on that, we might as well say what 

 will cover all small fruits and all large fruits, and all crops as 

 well, — the soil should be thoroughly prepared. I don't believe 

 any of you here ever prepared a plot for any crop so well that 

 when you had finished it you could not have done it better. You 

 cannot prepare a plot too well for strawberries. Never use an 

 old sod if it can be avoided. It is better to cultivate some other 

 crop the first year. A field that has been cultivated the year 

 before with potatoes and then given rye, turned in in the spring, 

 or even left without it, makes a good soil for strawberries. It 

 should be thoroughly prepared and just as early in the spring 

 as you can possibly do it and do it right. But you do not want 

 to plow before your soil is ready. If you do, you pack your soil 

 and you never can break up the lumps. You must not plow too 

 early, but just as early as your soil w\\\ work properly. 



I am taking for granted that you will set strawberries in the 

 spring. There is no other time to set strawberries for commer- 

 cial purposes. 



The soil should be thoroughly fertilized. Give it a good coat 

 of barnyard manure, and if you haven't enough of that, give it 

 a commercial fertilizer, analyzing about 3-8-10; this will depend 

 on the requirements of your soil. Just before fruiting some 

 use a little nitrate of soda, but be careful or you will get too 

 much foliage growth and a soft berry, more likely to be cut 

 down by blight or rust. If it doesn't start ofif real well, a little 

 nitrate of soda put on when it is dry so it will not burn the 

 foliage may be beneficial to the crop. But remember the nitrate 

 of soda is likely to give you a larger, softer berry and without 

 the quality you get with more potash and less nitrogen. 



Now" as to the plants you are going to set. I w^ant good strong 

 plants taken from a new bed. I have little faith in pedigree 

 plants. I think that the selection of strong, mature individuals 



