The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-02-20
STRAWBERRY CULTURE.
TOP DRESSING THE SOIL FOR SMALL
FRUITS.

Practical Suggestions Born of Sue
CessfuI ExperienCe-The Best Fer
tiizer for Small Fruits-Proper
Mode OF Applying 1.-THE Formula
Used and How to Prepare it.
| have experlmen,ed with fertilizer
for many years on all kinds Of crops
and at all seasons OF the year, but the
best paying application | ever made o!
1t was an early spring top dressing tor
strawberries, blackberries, dewberries,
raspberries, etc. 1t brings large returns
and brings them quickly. For only
two or three months expires from the
time the expense is incurred TILL the
fruit crop is gathered and sold.
would no more think of raising these
crops without liberal top dressing than
| would attempt TO carry my stock
through the winter without food. 1t is
as unwise to starve one as the other.
Even where land has been we'll ma
nured the previous year, top dressing
not only pays, but Is more essential, or
at least, more profitable than If The soil
was poor. For on good soil there are
strong, vigorous plants with vast ram
lflcatlon of root growth. And every
alom OF fertilizer matter is carried
down by the spring rains and IS just in
the rlgh. place to be at once appropri-
ated and used to the best advantage.
When the heavy yield of small fruits
is considered, 1t is easy to see how es-
senlial it IS that they should be con-
stantly and literally fed. There are
authentic instances of strawberries,
under the highest system of culture and
manurlng, having produced at the
rate of As 1000 quarts an acre. This is
prodlglous quantity of trult-enough
10 cover the land an inch or more deep.
OF course, 1t is only the most favorable
conditions that yield OF this magnI
tude can be expected. But that very
large yield, indeed, can be obtained by
any man of average intelligence, my
own experiences nave fully demonstra
ted.
have never attained 5000 quarts
an acre. Only by one man and only
in one instance bas this enormous limit
been reached. But | have had them
yield at the rate OF over 10000 quarts
al acre. had a whole field TO aver
age about 1000 quarts an acre. And
even thus field had rain CALLED places in
which the soil had been more or less
washed off. This result was attained
by liberal manurlng al all times, but
above all by heavy top dressing with
highly soluble fertilizers rich In potash.
As have grown fruit for over twen-
ty years and have devoted eleven years
exclusively to experimenting with a
practical end In view always, | have
had three objects in view: 70 discover
and keep abreast of all that is best as
to vartes of fruit; to ascertain and APP
ply the most economical and effective
modes of culture; and to find out the
system OF manurlng that would pay the
b-St
But to return to the subject that
started out with, top dressing small
fruits: Go over the field as soon after
January 1st as the weather will permit
and with hoes SCrape out all weeds.
Big results must not be expected where
dense mass of weeds is left TO appro-
pirate the plant food and moisture at
the critical time, just when the fruit
needs plenty of both. If necessary run
a nCrse Cultlvator, or better still, shall
low running s'sweep" between the rows,
remembering always that the destruc
ton OF weeds and not the deep stirring
of soil, is the object in view. The
deeper you 80 the more plant roots
you cut, the less nourlshment the plant
will get, and the less iruit you will
gather
The weeds all scraped out, | apply
broadcast over the dormant plants
(never SOW iertl!zcr on growing plants
but around them), the following mix
ture of my own preparation. 1t pays
me better than any commercial terllli
zer yet found.
Per acre: 500 lbs. kainit, or 200 lbs.
muriate of potash; 200 lbs. dissolved
bone, (bone dust is not soluble enough
for this purpose); and 50 to 100 lbs
| nitrate OF soda.
Break all Jumps in these and work
IN dry place (the dirt floor of a barn
is BEST a uniform bed of these ingredi-
ents, on that the other and on top the
third ingredient, all in layers as near
uniform IN thickness as possible. This
is to insure thoroughness in mixing.
Mix thoroughly with hoes; cutting
squarely down through the three strata
as you draw off each hoe full to stir
and mix i. In short, use all your care,
| judgment and ingenuity to perfectly
lntermingle the whole mass.
In sowing also take pains to distrlo-
ute evenly over the rows or beds con-
tanning plants Even the most careless
mixing and application of these chem
icals will pay, but as with all other
things, the better the job the bigger the
/ yield.
There is no Danger in them even
when used in much larger quantities.
| have used more than twice the above
quantity.
When large quantities are used ii is
best to apply it over the middle and
all and not confne it to the beds alone
This mixture is rich in potash and