REPORT OF MR. W. 8. BLAIR 375 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



STRAWBERRIES. 



Experiments were conducted this season with 41 varieties of strawberries. The 

 plots were each 99 square feet. The plants for each plot were set in the spring of 1900 

 in two rows, each 3 feet apart and 16i feet long. They were set one foot apart in the 

 rows. A space of 5 feet was left between the plots when planted so that when the 

 runners were formed each plot was G feet wide and 16£ feet long of matted plants with 

 a good space between each plot which was kept cultivated. 



We seldom take more than one crop off the plants grown in the matted row sys- 

 tem. This season, however, the fruit was picked from those plots planted in the spring 

 of 1899. The yield, however, was not large. It was found impossible to keep the 

 weeds out of these older plots without much extra labour, and it was thought that the 

 fruit would not warrant the outlay, consequently the plots were allowed to remain 

 weedy. The berries picked were small, and the yield on many did not much more than 

 pay for the expense of picking. Some, however, yielded a fair amount of good fruit. 

 There was no expense incurred in this instance, except that of covering the plants 

 during winter. It seldom pays to put expense in the way of labour and fertilizers on 

 old plots, but it is often advisable where plenty of land is available to let the plants re- 

 main for the second crop. 



The land on which the main crop was grown was a clay loam, and was manured 

 in the fall of 1899 with 20 tons of stable manure per acre. This was ploughed under 

 in the fall, and in the spring of 1900 was worked up and complete fertilizer at the rate 

 of 400 pounds per acre sown broadcast and harrowed in. The plants were set on the 

 level, May 17. 



The usual straw protection was not given the plants in November, and a heavy 

 snowstorm the 5th of December covered the plants completely. This remained on 

 until the last of March when it was thought advisable to give a light covering of straw 

 to the new plots, but the old beds were allowed to go without protection and all came 

 through in good condition. Xotes taken on this point from year to year would indi- 

 cate that only in one winter in three will the plants stand the winter without protec- 

 tion, and hence it is not safe to allow the plants to go without such protection. 



The dates of picking and quantity of fruit obtained each day are given in the fol- 

 lowing table. The dates of picking and yield obtained from the old plots are also given. 

 Several new varieties received from the Central Experimental Earm were added to the 

 list this year, including Afton, P. ; Nick Ohmer, B. ; Clyde, B. ; Senator Dunlap, B. ; 

 Glen Mary, B., and Buster, P. 



