-4- 



farmers thought that fertilizers would poison the soil, and, strangely, some 

 few still think so. The fanner who built the first silo in his community 

 vms probably laughed at. Doubtless, the first orchardists to begin spraying 

 were considered queer by their neighbors. 



So it is to some extent with conservation practices, albeit many 

 of these have been used for years in some sections. Some New England farmers 

 have always used conservation methods, some are now trying then for the first 

 tine, and still others are considering their use. No doubt, the tine v;ill 

 come v;hen fundamental conservation practices will be as common as certain 

 cultural practices now are. Fruit growers as a group are among the most 

 open-minded and progressive farmers, and it is expected that they will adopt 

 soil conservation practices when they become convinced of their soundness and 

 practicability. 



There are a fev/ good conservation demonstrations in orchards of 

 Massachusetts. More are needed for educational purposes. Orchardists v;ho 

 may want to try an adventure in soil conservation by way of contour planting 

 v:ill be given technical aid in eo far as available technical personnel permits. 



— A. B. Beaumont 



POUL TRY ItANURE AS A STRAVraERRY FERTILIZER 



Ov/ing to its relatively high nitrogen content, poultry manure is 

 recognized as an excellent fertilizer for stimulating vegetative growth. It 

 is used to good advantage in a young orchard, and if certain precautions are 

 observed, in a strav/berry planting, but not during the bearing year, for at 

 least four reasons; (1) It is a mistaken notion that a strav/berry plant can 

 be forced into heavy production by liberal fertilization in the spring of the 

 bearing year. Fruit buds develop in Septenber for the following June. For 

 that reason no aiaount or kind of fertilizer between September and June will 

 increase the actual number of berries. (2) Wiile an application of a nitrog- 

 enous fertilizer in the spring of the bearing year encourages additional leaf 

 growth, and consequently larger size berries, it also results in berries of 

 poorer shipping quality. Loss in transit may be often traced to soft berries, 

 resulting from a spring nitrogen application. (3) Increased growth of leaves, 

 and incidentally of weeds, not only renders picking more difficult, but it 

 prevents the berries from drying off after a rain. In a rainy season, such 

 a planting presents a real problem in the form of decayed berries. (4) For 

 obvioua reasons, the mere thought of clusters of luscious berries resting on 

 a layer of poultry manure is distasteful, to say the least. Clean berries, 

 such as are harvested in a planting mulched with straw or pine needles, 

 represent this fruit at its best. 



It is not the intent of the writer to discourage the use of poultry 

 manure in grov;ing strawberry plants. It is a question, not of the material 

 itself, but of the time of application. Poultry manure harrowed into the soil 

 in advance of setting the plants, works wonders in growing vigorous runner 

 plants. The amount of poultry manure to be harrowed in will vary, of course, 

 depending upon soil fertility. There is probably no better fertilizer for 



