FERTILIZING STRAWBERRIES 



INSECT AND DISEASE PREVENTION 



If there is any evidence of disease or infestation by 

 insects, the patch may be burned over after the berries are 

 picked, but this should not be resorted to unless considered 

 absolutely necessary. It is probably, however, a cheaper 

 and more satisfactory method of protecting the patch from 

 many fungus diseases and insect pests than is the use of 

 sprays which are costly and troublesome to prepare and 

 apply. Between a choice of the two, burning would seem 

 to be the preferred practice and in the experience of many 

 successful growers it has been found that when liberal 

 fertilization and proper cultivation is pursued, the burning 

 of the bed will hold in check most of the diseases and insect 

 pests with which the strawberry grower has to contend and 

 still not retard the healthy annual growth of the plants. 



Should spraying become necessary, the use of the 

 Bordeaux mixture for leaf spot, powdery mildew and blight 

 is recommended. For leaf eating insects, arsenate of lead, 

 applied as a spray, at the rate of two pounds to fifty gallons 

 of water will generally prove effective. These two sprays 

 should not be combined, for the lime sulphur, as well as other 

 fungicidal sprays must be used in such small quantities as to 

 produce only a slight moistening of the leaves, while the 

 arsenate of lead must be put on quite heavily if it is to 

 prove effective. Sprays should be applied early in the 

 spring after the new growth starts, but never during the 

 fruiting season. 



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