As a plant starter and grower some remark- 

 able results have been noted from using a mix- 

 ture composed of 1500 pounds of Dissolved (acid- 

 ulated) Bone and 500 pounds of Super Phos- 

 phate. The analysis of this mixture is about 

 3-10-0. Use about 400-700 pounds of this per acre 

 in the drill before the plants are set, or along- 

 side of the plants, thoroughly worked in the 

 soil with hoe or cultivator soon after setting is 

 done. Where applied in the drill, it should be 

 worked in thoroughly, going at least twice to 

 each row with a horse and cultivator to mix it 

 in. If applied broadcast, 1,000 pounds or more per 

 acre of this mixture thoroughly harrowed in be- 

 fore the plants are set, can be used without in- 

 jury and possibly to advantage. If this amount 

 is to be used, however, we would much prefer to 

 put five or six hundred pounds in the drill and use 

 the balance as a side dressing in early summer. 

 Not more than six or seven hundred pounds 

 should be used in the drill. 'We used this much 

 without injury, but have seen severe injury from 

 1,000 pounds in the drill, not thoroughly mixed 

 with the soil. Dissolved (acidulated) Bone may 

 not be available in all sections. Raw Bone Meal 

 is good but much slower acting. As an effective 

 substitute for the mixture recommended w^e sug- 

 gest tankage or cottonseed meal to be used with 

 ■ Super Phosphate in proportions to make approxi- 

 mately the same analysis. In no case should 

 nitrate or potash salts ever be used in any mix- 

 ture drilled under the plants. Contact of any of 

 these materials with the roots will surely burn 

 them. In the past many thousands of plants have 

 been killed by such methods. 



Late summer applications are recommended to 

 help increase the size and vigor of the plants 

 and especially to aid in the formation and devel- 

 opment of fruit buds. It has been the custom 

 here and farther South to use a 4-8-4 or 7-6-5 

 fertilizer at this time. However, experimental 

 results with potash have not shown enough bene- 

 fits in the growth of plants or in the firmness, 

 color or quality of the fruit to justify its expense. 

 On the other hand there are definite indications 

 from some investigators that the inclusion of 

 potash under some conditions is an actual detri- 

 ment in checking the plant growth and in re- 

 ducing the eating quality of the berries. Actual 

 shipments as well as pressure tests from dif- 

 ferent plots failed to indicate increased firmness 

 or carrying quality of the berries from the plots 

 receiving potash. 



Onr AnKust-September application consists of 

 700 pounds of Nitrate of Soda, 300 pounds of 

 tankage, 100 pounds dry fish, 90n pounds Dis- 

 solved (acidulated) Bone which gave an analysis 

 of approximately 9-5-0. On soils that are quite 

 fertile and have a high organic content the per- 

 centage of nitrogen in this mixture should be 

 considerably reduced and the Phosphate content 

 probably increased. A substitution of from 100 

 to 400 pounds of Super Phosphate for the Nitrate 

 of Soda in this mixture would accomplish this re- 

 sult as well as lower the cost. Excessive quan- 

 tities of nitrogen should be avoided as too rank 

 growth which an excess of this element produces 

 is not favorable for pollenation, keeping quality 

 or total yield. 



Spring' applications in this section carry about 

 the same analysis if used as top dressing as in 

 late summer, jlost top dressing is applied in the 

 spring although on young beds probably a fall 

 application is better than spring, but there is 

 some evidence that a split application with some 

 at each time is preferable to either fall or spring 

 alone. Spring applications especially of nitrogen 

 help increase the set of fruit as well as the 

 growth of the plants. Except in the southern 

 areas fruit bud formation does not occur in the 

 spring. Old beds fruited the second year usually 

 have plenty of fruit buds but need spring appli- 

 cations of nitrogen for foliage growth. 



Large berries of any variety are not as firm as 

 small ones. The proper amount of nitrogen fer- 

 tilizers does not make berries softer except as it 

 makes them larger. An excess of nitrogen will 

 make them softer and more subject to rot. Ap- 

 plications of nitrogen and phosphorus together 

 have resulted in better quality fruit in a number 

 of tests. 



"Whenever any fertilizer is applied to straw- 

 berry plants as a top dressing the foliage should 

 be thoroughly dry. Any material remaining on 

 the leaves should be brushed off to prevent 

 burning. 



Soil Acidity and Lime 



strawberries prefer a soil that is slightly acid. 

 On very acid soils small applications of lime will 

 pay for strawberries, but an excess of lime is 

 likely to have a very detrimental effect. Where 

 there seems to be a need for lime in the soil it 

 should be added to previous crops rather than 

 just before setting strawberries. For those 

 familiar with p.H. tests for soil acidity for 

 strawberry plants we can say that strawberry 

 plants have survived within a p.H. range of 4 

 to 8; within a range of 5 to 7 growth was very 

 satisfactory. The optimum was from 5.7 to 6. 

 Except where soils are very acid or very sweet 

 other conditions such as organic matter content 

 are probably more important for strawberries 

 than the lime content. 



Perfect and Imperfect Varieties 



Perfect flowering varieties planted alone T.vill 

 mature a crop of perfect fruit. Imperfect flower- 

 ing varieties should have perfect varieties 

 planted with them, at least one row for every 

 five or six. When two varieties are used in equal 

 amounts, they are often alternated three or four 

 rows of each. Alternating plots of different va- 

 rieties made necessary by one of them being im- 

 perfect are a nuisance to the grower at harvest 

 time. In our price list perfect flowering varieties 

 are followed by "per" and imperfect varieties by 

 "imp." 



Mulching 



A mulch is applied for one or all of several 

 reasons: First, to protect the plants from freez- 

 ing and thawing of the soil in winter; second, to 

 keep the soil cool and moist during the season 

 when fruit is being produced; third, to keep 

 berries from being spattered ^'ith dirt by rain 

 during fruiting season; fourth, by delaying 

 blooming it tends to prevent injury by frost in 

 the spring. 



The best time for applying and removing mulch 

 as well as the thickness required varies with the 

 locality. In general it should be applied before 

 hard freezing weather in the fall and if thick 

 mulch is used, raked to the center of the rows in 

 the spring about the time growth starts. To 

 avoid frost injury by delaying blossoming mulcli 

 is left on longer, but removed before bleaching 

 of young shoots becomes severe. Mulching is 

 more important on heavy soils than on the 

 lighter types. Its value in conserving moisture 

 is very pronounced in dry seasons. 



Wheat straw is considered the best material. 

 Rye straw, marsh grass, and shredded corn 



Heeling in Plants 



13 



