150 The Principles of Fruit-growing 



amount of complete fertilizer containing a fair amount of 

 nitrogen in gradually available forms is likely to be bene- 

 ficial. The use of heavy applications of nitrogen for rasp- 

 berries, currants and gooseberries is not advised, for it 

 will induce too great a growth of canes and foliage and 

 interfere with the maturing and ripening of the fruit. The 

 plants will also be rendered more readily subject to mildew." 



The cranberry, according to Wheeler, "thrives better 

 at the outset, even on certain very acid soils, than after 

 the acidity has been lessened by liming. If more nitrogen 

 is needed than that naturally available from the humus 

 of the bog, it is usually recommended that it be applied 

 in small quantities, preferably in nitrate of soda, although 

 it is possible that sulfate of ammonia may sometimes 

 answer as well; and nitrate of potash may even be pref- 

 erable to either. The chief need of the cranberry vine is 

 usually phosphoric acid and potash. The phosphoric acid 

 for top-dressing may be in superphosphate, but if applied 

 just before the plants are set one may employ bone-meal, 

 or, if on very acid peat or muck soil, even raw rock phos- 

 phate." When the soils are very wet, he warns against 

 the use of nitrates, "owing to their ready reduction to 

 nitrites, which may be poisonous." 



"In case spring applications of fertilizer are made, it 

 must not be expected that they will always affect the 

 cranberry yield of that season so much as the yield of the 

 crop which follows. Such applications should ordinarily 

 be made after the water is drawn off and the land has dried 

 out to a reasonable extent. Some growers advise applying 

 the fertilizer just after the crop is harvested, but if nitro- 

 genous fertilizers are used spring applications are better. 



Strawberries give quick response to fertilizers, manures, 

 mulches and tillage. They may be likened in these regards 



