46 MODERN STRAWBERRY GROWING 



reducing them finally to very small particles. 

 These small pieces again are found to be 

 more easily dissolved or some part of them 

 in the soil water, thereby increasing the avail- 

 able plant food of the soil. 



In a very dry summer good tillage, with 

 its blanket soil-mulch, conserves moisture, 

 thereby helping to counterbalance the great 

 evil of drought, resulting year after year in 

 more even crops. 



Cultivation also offers more opportunity 

 for rains to enter the soil, owing to the more 

 open texture of the soil, and if tillage is 

 practised very soon after the rain the soil 

 crust will be broken, and the moisture con- 

 served. It is, however, highly important 

 that the tillage be level, as there is less soil 

 exposed, therefore less drying out 



These are not the only benefits of tillage; 

 large quantities of weeds are destroyed 

 annually by good cultivation. It is quite 

 easy to control weeds if work is begun before 

 they are more than an inch or two high, 

 as the roots of the weeds are shallow at 

 this stage and the growth tender. If the 

 weeds are allowed to grow for some little 

 time, competition between them and the 



