Never allow weeds to grow in the strawberry patch. Cultivate carefully 

 and thoroughly. By running the cultivator the same way every time, the 

 plants that are newly rooted will not be so readily disturbed. Care must be 

 taken not to stir the soil immediately around the plants, especially early in 

 the season, as this is often the cause of their making feeble growth. 

 (yew Zealand Bulletin No. 46.) 



In order to be successful in strawberry growing, four essentials are 

 necessary, namely, good plants, good drainage, deep culture, and heavy 

 manuring. When these are properly combined the plants soon become 

 established, sending their roots deeply down in search of food and moisture. 

 Thorough preparation of the land before planting is of paramount import- 

 ance. Drain where necessary, then bastard-trench, or plough and subsoil- 

 plough, working in manure at the same time. All growers consider stable 

 manure the best where available, but where artificial fertilisers are applied 

 they must be such as will induce healthy, vigorous growth, and at the same 

 time are rich in potash. It may be said of the strawberry, the heavier the 

 dressing of manure applied the heavier the crop, and the longer the plants 

 will remain in a healthy bearing condition. 



FERTILISING THE SOIL. 

 (Brother Jonathan Series, Xo. 3.) 



It is of the greatest importance that the soil be rich if profitable results 

 are expected in strawberry growing. One of the most economical methods 

 of getting the soil in good condition is by means of growing and turning 

 under green leguminous crops, crops of the pea, bean and clover family. This 

 means that the grower must begin the preparation of his land several seasons 

 before the berries are to be grown. It is cheaper to get the soil rich and also 

 mellow by this means than by the exclusive use of fertilisers of any other kind. 



Clover is one of the best plants to grow for this purpose in soils where 

 a good stand of clover can be secured. It should be allowed to occupy the 

 ground two years and then the stubble should be turned under. The clover 

 roots deeply, and thereby mellows the soil and airs it out to a good depth. 

 It also brings up fertilisers from lower down than most field crops grow. 

 Much of this fertility is left near the surface of the soil when the stubble is 

 turned under. The greatest value of the clover, however, lies in its ability 

 to get its nitrogen from the air. Nitrogen is the most expensive fertilising 

 element to secure, if purchased as a fertiliser, and it is the most difficult to 

 hold in the soil. The clover gets it free from the air and adds it to the soil 

 when its roots and stubble are ploughed. 



Where clover will not do well, or where one can wait only one season to 

 set the soil ready, some other crop of the same family, which will finish its 

 growth in a year, may be used. Toward the south the cow pea is one of the 

 best. This plant will thrive on soil so worn that a stand of clover cannot be 

 secured. It gets its nitrogen from the air the same as clover and it also 

 mellows the soil, leaving it in fine condition to be worked. In the north the 

 Canada field pea is sometimes used. Peas will enrich the soil more if the 

 whole crop is turned under after it has fully gotten its growth. It is some- 

 times wise, however, to cut the crop for hay or pasture it and turn under 

 only the stubble. 



