1 907.] 



Modern Strawberry Growing. 



203 



nitrates that strawberries want without any addition. It is 

 to phosphates and potash that he must turn for his supple- 

 mentary fertilisers, and if he use them with judgment, he will 

 find the results satisfactory. The value of mineral super- 

 phosphate, costing about £3 per ton, is altogether under- 

 estimated by strawberry growers. A fair commercial sample 

 will yield about 26 per cent, of soluble phosphates. A reason- 

 able rate of application for strong land is to allow 2 stones 

 (28 lb.) to every ton of manure if 25 tons or over are applied 

 Thus, if 30 tons of manure were applied per acre, the 

 quantity of superphosphate would be yh cwt. exactly. At 

 £3 per ton this would cost £1 2s. 6d., which can easily be saved 

 out of the manure, for 30 tons per acre is often exceeded. 

 If the manure applied should fall below 25 tons, the quantity of 

 superphosphate per ton might be increased to 2J stones (35 lb.) 

 per ton. 



Character of Soil. — In this matter of manuring the grower must 

 be guided by the nature of his soil. Strong loams, inclining 

 to clay, do not require anything like the amount of manure 

 which light land does. If such land lie fairly warm, it is almost 

 ideal strawberry soil. One great thing in its favour is that it 

 holds moisture well, and a moisture-retaining soil never requires 

 so much manure as land that quickly " dries out." Those who 

 grow strawberries on light land will be wise to supplement yard 

 manure with a selected potash fertiliser. Sulphate of potash 

 is excellent, and the fact that it is relatively expensive need 

 not deter the grower from using it, as the quantity needed is 

 not considerable ; f stone per ton of manure will suffice. 

 Like superphosphate, it may be drilled in before planting, or 

 mixed in with the manure while the latter is rotting in the heap. 



The reason why most varieties of strawberries do not thrive 

 in light land is that it is not moist enough. Merely adding 

 manure will not make it right, though it will improve matters. 

 What is wanted is deeper culture. Heavy land is supposed to* 

 be more expensive to work than light ground, but if a proper 

 profit and loss account were kept, I think it would be found 

 that stiff soil pays better for strawberries than light. I have 

 not yet found the clay (which so many strawberry growers dread) 

 that is too stiff for this fruit, provided it is drained. The vigour 

 that most varieties display on stiff land which receives but ai 



