The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-08-10
SMALL FRUITS in FALL.
AUTUMN THE TIME TO USE POT
ASH AND GROUND BONE.
The Farmer Who Looks Ahead Will
Treat His Berry Fields Well After
The Picking, and Gain BY
1t In the end.

Hundreds OF acres of land are devoted to
small fruits, which are annually cropped
with no return to the soil OF the elements
taken from it. Strong competition has
forced strawberry growers to 90 to some
expense fer fertilizers in order to produce
large berries, but the raspberries and black
berries receive hut little manure or fertil-
izers. In the fruit growing sections dairy
ing is given but little or no attention
hence manure is not plentiful, reliance be-
ingplaced upon commercial fertilizers.
There is one point regardingrasp berries and
blackberries and that is the large pro-
duction of canes every year. This growth
of new canes takes from the soil much
larger proportion of plant food than do the
berries, and as fields may bear successive
crops for ten or more years, the Importance
of an annual application of fertilizer can
not be too strongly urged. The early
spring is usually the period of the year
when fertilizers are applied, but there is a
heavy growth of canes until late in the fall
In fact the plants get ready during the
summer and fall for next years crop of
berries.
WHEN TO APPLY FERTILIZERS.
The spring application of fertilizers will
always give excellent result, but they
should be very soluble, in order that the
canes which grow very rapidly, may be
plentifully supplied, but after the crop is
picked an application of potash and finely
ground bone should then be used. Nitrogen
should not be applied very literally in the
fall, as it is liable to be carried away by the
excessive rains during the winter, owing
to its ready solubility; but mineral matter
will assist in the production Of larger and
and healthier canes and aid them in resist
ing the attacks OF insects and diseases. 1t
is claimed that plants possess storage
capacity that is, the ability to hold with
in thtnsel>c s the substances from which
The fruit is produced the next year-which
.laim is not fully accepted, however, but 1t
is well known that when plants have been
we'll cultivated and literally supplied
with plant food in the summer and fall
they RESI- ond to the good treatment and
yield more than a sufiiciency of fruit to
compensate for the expense incurred in
pushing the plants forward and enriching
the land
CULTIVATION NECESSARY.
Outside Of an effort to kill of the largest
seeds between the rows, the canes OF black
berries and raspberries receive but little
cultivation, and in the rows among the
plants weeds and grass contend for supre-
macy. The field is usually given up until
spring, except to cut out the old canes dur
ing the winter, and the land is compelled
to grow two crops-canes and weeds
the canes are kept down, being unable to
resist drought, because much of the plant
food and moisture is taken by the weeds.
Not only should deep and clean cultivation
be given between the rows, but it will be
be an advantage to give the canes more
room, so as to cultivate them under the
''check row" system, if possible, in order
to avoid using the hoe. Canes are allowed
to become too thick in the rows, and by
giving more room, with clean cultivation,
larger and better berries will be secured
with greater yields. By burning the old
canes in winter and applying fertilizer at
this season, thinning out the canes, keep
ing the rows clean and allowing no weeds
Or grass to grow among the canes, the
grower will secure a much larger profit
from his fruit next year.