THE STRAWBERRY 



rough over winter so that the frost and air may 

 not only hasten the decay of the vegetable mat- 

 ter and loosen the soil, but destroy grubs and 

 other enemies that are exposed. It is not a 

 good practice to plant strawberries on freshly 

 plowed sod land. Add a sprinkling of manure 

 over the surface of the soil in the spring and 

 work it into the first three inches. A sprink- 

 ling of bone meal along the row where the 

 plants are to be set will add one of the most 

 valuable of plant foods to the strawberry. 

 If the soil has a tendency to be sour, shown by 

 the growth of the bitter weed of sorrel, a little 

 lime may be added to the soil in the fall. Both 

 lime and land plaster are very objectionable 

 in the strawberry bed after the plants are 

 set. 



Muck soil does not require additional humus 

 or vegetable matter for it is made up of de- 

 caying plants, but it almost always requires 

 drainage and now and then a little commercial 

 fertilizer, which should consist of potash and 

 phosphoric acid. Sufficient nitrogen is usu- 



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