HORTICULTURE 255 



ket or home patch, the results secured will, in a general way, be meas- 

 ured by the adaptation of the soil. As the strawberry contains a large 

 amount of water and ripens at a time when a drought may be ex- 

 pected, the location selected should, so far as possible, provide a soil 

 that is at least fairly retentive of moisture. Equal care should be 

 taken that it is so thoroughly drained, either naturally or artificially, 

 that water will at no time stand upon the surface and that in a 

 very short time after a rain, the level of the standing water will be 

 at least two feet below the surface. It is commonly said that any good 

 corn soil will answer for strawberries, but, while this is true, on ac- 

 count of the much greater value of the crop, more care should be 

 taken that it is in a proper physical condition and supplied with the 

 needed amount of plant food. 



As a rule, the lighter sandy loams should be avoided, as the crop 

 will be likely to suffer from lack of water, while the stiff clays can 

 seldom be properly worked in the spring, and if neglected are likely 

 to bake so that the plants suffer more from the lack of water than 

 upon the lighter sands. 



In a general way, then, it will be seen that the heavier sandy 

 loams and the lighter clay loams are best adapted for this crop, al- 

 though good results will be obtained upon the lighter soils, if moisture 

 can be provided. Fair returns are often obtained upon a soil of a 

 mucky nature, as the water is generally so near the surface that 

 drouths will have no effect, but two difficulties are frequently met 

 with upon this class of soils, the first being the danger of frosts while 

 the plants are in blossom, and the other that the plants make a rank 

 growth and fail to form the necessary fruit buds. Where the mucky 

 soil is in a basin, entirely .or nearly surrounded by higher land, the 

 blossoms seldom escape the frost, but if so situated that the cold air 

 can drain off upon a lake, or still lower land, the danger will be les- 

 sened. After the land has been cropped for a number of years, the 

 danger of the rank growth of plants will be greatly reduced, and if 

 they are kept in hills, especially if a liberal amount of ground bone 

 and ashes are used, a good crop of fruit can generally be expected 

 upon this kind of soil and, as there will be but little danger from 

 drouth, the fruit will be large and will bring the highest price. 



In the home garden it is frequently impossible to find soil 

 adapted to the growing of small fruits, and it will often pay to go to 

 considerable expense in improving the physical condition of the soil. 

 Where the soil is of a heavy nature, it will often be possible to spread 

 over the surface and mix with it an inch or more of sand or sandy 

 loam ; good results will also be secured by the use of fine coal ashes, 

 either from hard or soft coal, and a liberal dressing of partially de- 

 composed stable manure will also aid in loosening and lightening 

 the soil. If the soil is of too light a nature and it is not possible to 

 add clay or heavy loam, the use of muck or wood ashes will have a 

 beneficial effect, the former supplying humus and the latter tending 

 to render the soil more compact. A soil improved in this way will be 

 in good condition for other crops. 



To precede the strawberries, a heavy clover sod is desirable, as 



