FERTILIZING STRAWBERRIES 



Picking Berries at Charlevoix Michigan 



If the soil is not already well drained, moisture retaining, 

 and as fertile as desirable, attention should be directed to 

 its modification and improvement. Drainage may be 

 improved by tiling but it is never desirable to select a soil 

 which requires extensive artificial drainage in order to 

 render it suitable to tillage within a short period after 

 heavy rains. Berries draw heavily upon the supply of water 

 and while the soil should be retentive of moisture, it should 

 not be excessively wet. A plentiful supply of organic mat- 

 ter is of importance in this respect decaying vegetable 

 matter not only improves the physical condition of a soil, 

 but increases the available plant food by stimulating chemical 



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