XIV 



9 THE STRAWBERRY 



EUROPEAN (Fragaria vesca) 

 AMERICAN (Fragaria Virginiana) 



In some particulars the strawberry is the most 

 important fruit crop of the temperate zone. It rivals 

 the apple in the time that we may have it in the market 

 in a fresh condition. Coming from the extreme South 

 soon after Xew Year, a supply is kept up from the 

 South to the North and from the North to the South 

 until August. It is the first fruit of the season, and 

 will produce, under good conditions, more bushels per 

 acre than the potato. It is of especial importance to 

 the grower just starting into business because an income 

 can be obtained within twelve to fourteen months after 

 planting. It is a fruit that succeeds in a great variety 

 of soils, but is most profitably grown on a deep, rich 

 sandy loam. In a very dry time on light land the crop 

 is often injured by drouth, but if a heavy coating of 

 stable manure is turned under before setting and the 

 land is well mulched before the fruit begins to ripen, 

 a crop will be carried through a great deal of dry 

 weather. The strawberry often yields a very heavy crop 

 on reclaimed meadows, but under such conditions the 

 tendency is to run to plant instead of fruit, and the 

 fertilizers used should contain a large amount of potash 

 and phosphoric acid. A very good fertilizer is made 

 of three parts of good hard wood ashes to one of fine 

 ground bone used at the rate of from one to two tons 



