164 THB STRAWBERRY. 



will be no fruit; but if there be planted near them some of the 

 Wilson, or any other sort having an abundance of stamens, 

 there will be fruit on the pistdlate as well as the staminate sort, 

 provided both are in bloom at the same time, so that the pollen 

 may fertilize them. Hence it will be seen that in planting 

 strawberries attention must be given to the character of the 

 flowers, else there may be a fine growth of plants, and an 

 abundance of blossoms, but no fruit. 



The SOIL for strawberry plants should be deep, well pulverized 

 and rich. A deep strong loam is the soil best suited to all 

 varieties ; but any soil that is well drained, well pulverized to a 

 depth of sixteen inches, and well enriched, wUl make a good 

 strawberry bed. There are some varieties that yield their finest 

 fruit, and in greatest quantity, in a clay soil. Of this class are 

 Triomphe de Gand and Jucunda, but they can be made to yield 

 very fine fruit on sandy soil that is highly supplied with 

 fertilizers. It has been said that it is possible to injure the 

 strawberry crop by too high manuring, the plants growing 

 vigorously, but running to vine and not to fruit. Such is not 

 our experience. We have applied well decomposed manure in 

 great quantities to all the leading varieties, and have found the 

 fruit to be increased in proportion to the increased growth of 

 the plant. Much has been written concerning ^special fertilizers 

 for the strawberry, and great stress laid upon the use of tan- 

 bark and other substances, but the best special manure we have 

 found has been that from the barn-yard. It should be remem- 

 bered that thorough cultivation and high manuring are the 

 secrets of success in the cultivation of the strawberry, and that 

 a miich larger return will be obtained from one quarter of an 

 acre that has been thoroughly prepared by deep subsoil plowing, 

 cross plowing, thorough pulverization and abundant manuring, 

 than from a whole acre that is skimmed over and half manured. 

 We are fully persuaded that our strawberry growers generally 

 err in planting too much lan.;l, and that they would find their 

 profits much increased if they would lessen their acreage and 

 double the cultivation and enriching of that which remains. 



