16 Strawberry-Growing 



It makes little difference whether the plant-food is in 

 the soil at the outset or is put there as fertilizer. If it 

 was supplied by nature, the cost of production will be 

 reduced that much. Even though the soil is poor, if it 

 has the other necessary qualities, especially good drain- 

 age, fertility may be added from fertilizer sacks. A large 

 part of the strawberry industry is based on this proposi- 

 tion. 



Since colonial days, land that has been cleared recently 

 has been preferred for strawberries. A large proportion 

 of the strawberry fields of the South are planted on " new 

 ground." The superior crop-producing power of new 

 ground, as compared with old land, is due partly to its 

 larger supply of available plant-food, but mostly to its 

 excellent physical condition. It is full of leaf mold and 

 humus, which hold moisture well. In some localities, 

 virgin land is planted to strawberries immediately after 

 being cleared ; in others, it is cropped in corn one or two 

 years to subdue the sprouts and rank growth of forest 

 herbage. In Florida and parts of the Gulf states, straw- 

 berries on new ground tend to run to vines, and it is best 

 to crop the land two or three years before using it for 

 strawberries. 



Drainage. 



Good drainage is the most important quality of straw- 

 berry land. Fertility can be added, texture and water- 

 holding power improved, but unless the soil is well drained 

 naturally or is susceptible of under-drainage it will not 

 produce profitable crops. The character of the subsoil, 

 whether porous or impervious, and its depth from the 

 surface, is one of the first points to observe. A sloping 

 site usually secures good drainage, but some heavy up- 



