Preparing the Land 227 



sloping to the north will be later and the berries will be 

 slightly less highly colored. In those sections where the 

 summers are hot and dry it will be an advantage to use 

 the northern slopes for the strawberry plantation, on ac- 

 count of the greater moisture which will be retained in the 

 soils of such locations. But if means are at hand for irri- 

 gating the plantations such differences are of little value. 

 The strawberry needs an abundant supply of moisture 

 throughout the entire growing season. This is because of 

 its shallow rooting habit. In dry summers it is 'not infre- 

 quent to find the strawberry plants in a dormant condi- 

 tion and most of the foliage dead by midsummer, only to 

 revive and possibly produce a second crop of fruit after 

 the late summer rains soak up the soil. 



In the fall of 1910 this character prevailed over the 

 greater portion of the country east of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. The early portion of the summer was dry and in 

 August an abundance of rain came, soaking up the soil and 

 putting new life into the strawberry fields, with the result 

 that in September and October many persons were har-^ 

 vesting a second crcp of berries, which were practically as 

 good as the early spring crop. In the irrigated sections 

 of the West many berry growers make a specialty of ob- 

 taining a second crop of berries, which they can do with 

 ease when they understand how to handle the irrigation 

 water and throw the plants into a dormant condition early 

 in the summer. Then by applying the water again after 

 the plants have had a short rest, they will immediately 

 come into bloom and produce a second crop. In the mild 

 climate of California, where strawberries can be kept in 

 growing condition throughout the entire year, crops of 

 fruit can be had almost every day. 



Preparing the Land 



Because of the adaptability of the strawberry to a va- 

 riety of conditions it will grow and produce remarkably 

 good crops in soils which have been given very poor prep- 

 aration. But like every other cultivated crop it responds to 

 good cultivation, and when the soil is put in the best pos- 



