74 Success with Small Fruits. 



Lime and potash, in their various forms in connection with green 

 crops, would give permanent fertility to every heavy acre of Southern 

 land. In my judgment, however, barn-yard manure is not surpassed in 

 value by any other in any latitude. If one owned clay land from which 

 he could not secure good crops after the preparation that has been sug- 

 gested, he had better either turn it into a brick-yard or emigrate. 



Sandy Ground. Suppose that, in contrast, our soil is a light sand. 

 In this case, the question of cultivation is greatly simplified, but the 

 problem of obtaining a heavy crop is correspondingly difficult. The 

 plow and the cultivator run readily enough, and much less labor is 

 required to keep the weeds in subjection, but as a rule, light land yields 

 little fruit, and yet under favorable circumstances I have seen magnifi- 

 cent crops of certain varieties growing on sand. If sufficient moisture 

 and fertility can be maintained, many of our best varieties will thrive 

 and produce abundantly ; but to do this is the very pith of our diffi- 

 culty. Too often a sandy soil will not retain moisture and manure. Such 

 light land is generally very deficient in vegetable matter ; and, therefore, 

 whenever it is possible, I would turn under green crops. If the soil could 

 be made sufficiently fertile to produce a heavy crop of clover, and this 

 were plowed under in June, and then buckwheat harrowed in and its 

 rank growth turned under in August, strawberries could be planted as 

 soon as the heat of decay was over, with excellent prospects of fine 

 crops for the three succeeding years. Did I propose to keep the land 

 in strawberries, I would then give it another year of clover and buckwheat, 

 adding bone dust, potash and a very little lime in some form. The green 

 crop, when decayed, is lighter than clay, and renders its tenacious 

 texture more friable and porous ; it also benefits the sandy soil by 

 supplying the absent humus, or vegetable mold, which is essential to 

 all plant life. This mold is also cool and humid in its nature, and aids in 

 retaining moisture. 



With the exception of the constant effort to place green vegetable 

 matter under the surface, my treatment of sandy ground would be the 

 reverse of that described for clay. Before using the product of the horse- 

 stable, I would compost it with at least an equal bulk of leaves, muck, 

 sods, or even plain earth, if nothing better could be found. A compost 

 of stable manure with clay would be most excellent. If possible, I would 

 not use any manure on light ground until all fermentation was over, 

 and then I would rather harrow than plow it in. This will leave it 

 near the surface, and the rains will leach it down to the roots and 

 below them, also only too soon. Fertility cannot be stored up in sand 

 as in clay, and it should be our aim to give our strawberries the food 



