THE STRAWBERRY AS A FIELD CROP 307 



will be an abundant supply of phosphoric acid and potash. As the plant 

 analysis shows the need of the plant for potash, and the soils in which the 

 market culture of the strawberry, in the South especially, are deficient in this 

 constituent, the percentage and form of the potash becomes an important 

 matter to the strawberry grower. While nitrogen is an important element, 

 we are of the opinion that the growing of a crop of cow peas the summer be- 

 fore planting the strawberries will usually supply a sufficient amount of ni- 

 trogen for the first growth of the plants, and that subsequent growth can be 

 maintained by top dressings of nitrate of soda. The growing of the peas 

 will not only supply nitrogen forming organic matter, but will make a profita- 

 ble forage crop to precede the strawberries, and a large part of the phosphoric 

 acid and potash needed by the strawberries, can be advantageously applied to 

 the pea crop to encourage its growth, and to enable the plant to do the great- 

 est possible amount of nitrogen catching for the strawberries. The common 

 practice of the strawberry growers in the South is to set the plants in August 

 or September, and to heavily fertilize the ground so as to get a fair crop of 

 fruit the following spring. In the spring, as growth begins, a top dress- 

 ing of nitrate of soda is added. The plants are allowed to mat along the rows, 

 and to bear a crop the following year, after which they are plowed under. 

 In this system a field is planted every year, so as to have always one to turn 

 under after the crop is off. But owing to the fact that there is apt to be long 

 continued dry weather at the time usually selected for planting, many growers 

 are making a practice of setting later in the fall, even in November and De- 

 cember whenever the ground is not actually frozen. In the North, there is no 

 doubt we believe that spring is the best time to set the plants, but here our 

 finest success has been from November setting. We once set a patch of straw- 

 berries in November and cold weather set in at once, but no harm was done, 

 and much to my surprise the plants set a very good crop of fruit in the spring, 

 and were so well grown that we allowed it to ripen. If we were at all certain 

 of seasonable weather in September, we would prefer that month for the set- 

 ting to any other, but we are usually compelled by reason of the drought to 

 be later in setting. 



Fertilizer formula for the strawberry : Acid phosphate, 900 pounds ; cotton 

 seed meal, 700 pounds ; nitrate of soda, 200 pounds ; sulphate of potash, 200 

 pounds. Of this the best growers would use not less than 1,000 pounds per 

 acre, on land where no previous crop of peas has been grown. Where a 

 growth of dead pea vines has been plowed under, the amount of organic 

 nitrogen in the shape of cotton seed meal can be dispensed with ; and the ni- 

 trate of soda should be reserved for the spring dressing where the plants are 

 set late in the fall. 



