104 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



He believes it to have grown from a seed of an Excelsior berry. It is 

 as early as the Excelsior and begins to ripen soon after the first of 

 May in the Willamette Valley. It is larger, handsomer, sweeter, and 

 more prolific than the Excelsior and is fast supplanting that variety in 

 this State. The berries are too soft to permit their shipment except to 

 markets near the place where raised. There are a number of other new 

 varieties of promise which have been originated in this State but which 

 are not yet thoroughly tested. 



The only varieties introduced here from the east which are grown to 

 any great extent in Western Oregon are the Marshall and Wilson. The 

 Marshall is as large or larger than the Magoon and somewhat resembles 

 it in shape and appearance. It ripens a little earlier than the Magoon. 

 Apparently it is better adapted than the Magoon to the typical hill lands 

 of the Willamette Valley, but this has not been as yet thoroughly settled. 

 A large majority of the growers prefer the Magoon to the Marshall, and 

 report the Magoon much the better yielder of the two, and say that 

 the Magoon holds up better after being picked than the Marshall. 



The old Wilson is still grown to a considerable extent in Western 

 Oregon because it is preferred to all other varieties for canning both 

 in the home and by commercial canners. It requires especially careful 

 culture in order to prevent the berries from becoming too small in the 

 latter part of the bearing season. 



The Warfield does well in Oregon and is an excellent all-purpose 

 berry but is not grown enough to be known on the markets of the 

 State. The Excelsior, which for a number of years was the first early 

 strawberry on the local markets of home growth, is now being abandoned 

 by growers as the Gold Dollar is a more profitable first early variety 

 for the home markets. 



soiLS, planting, cultivation, etc. 



Strawberries can be grown on almost any of the soils of Western 

 Oregon. The type of soil known as a clay loam is the best for most 

 varieties. Peaty soils should be avoided and soils which are coarse 

 grained and dry out quickly are not satisfactory. Land which has been 

 under cultivation for many years is usually too deficient in humus and 

 if strawberries are to be grown on such soil a crop of common vetches 

 should be grown and plowed under the year before the plants are set, 

 the vetches to be followed by cultivated crop. It is not well to plant 

 strawberries on land v/hich has recently been in clover as the crown 

 borer works in both the clover and strawberry plants. Fiat land which 

 lacks drainage is not desirable. For the earliest varieties a southern 

 slope of a hill is desirable if the site is such as to be unusually free 

 from frost. 



The preparation of the land should be most thorough. Mr. A. J. 

 Shipley, a successful grower of Monmouth, Oregon, says he has never 

 been able to get his land in first-class condition for planting with less 

 than three plowings, following each plowing with thorough discing. 

 He says further: "The first plowing should be about four inches deep; 

 the second, seven, and the third about ten inches deep. When the 

 ground is in proper condition to work it can't be disced, harrowed, 

 and clod-mashed too much." 



Strawberry plants may be set in the fall or as early in the spring 

 as it is possible to get the soil in good condition. Many growers prefer 

 to plant late in the spring as the soil can then be more readily put in 

 the best condition than earlier. 



If the plantation is large enough to permit, it is best to set the 

 plants of the varieties which make large tops so they can be cultivated 

 both ways. On good soil Magoon plants should stand three and one- 



