The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-06-26
STRAWBERRY NOTES
(By Gordon G. Brown

The strawberry harvesting season
will soon be over and the grower must
turn his attention once more to prob
lens of fertilization, cultivation, top
ping, irrigation, etc.
To those who desire more complete
notes regarding the fertilizer problem
for this crop in the Hood River valley,
would refer to my bulletin. "Fertil-
izer Tests for Strawberries" Bulletin
No. l59, of the Oregon Agricultural
College. This is a summary Of results
of experiments extending over three
years on the redshot soils at Dee. This
bulletin may be secured either through
the Hood River Experiment Station or
from the Agricultural College at Cor
wallis.
A good deal of data has already been
collected regarding the use of CONNER
cial fertilizers for this crop as far as
spring applications are concerned.
Little well established data is yet
available bearing upon the subject of
applications after the strawberry har.
vest. However, the information thus
far collected seems to support the idea
that applications put on after the ber
ry harvest give larger yields and firm
er berries than applications in early
spring or at blooming time. This ap
plies especially to the use of nitrate Of
soda and sulphate of ammonia, both of
which are high in their readily avail
able nitrogen content.
The aim in this brief article is to
help the grower judge this matter for
himself. would recommend where
plants are somewhat lacking in vigor,
condition which may have been
brought about by an insufficient
amount of soil fertility, lack of Irriga-
tion. cultivation or by advanced age,
that small application of nitrate of
soda be put on soon and thoroughly
hoed in. One hundred and fifty to 200
pounds per acre would be sufficient if
properly applied. In some cases 100
pounds per acre could be considered
sufficient.
This may be followed by another ap-
plication next spring OF similar
amount. Whether or not this second
application is necessary would depend
largely upon the response secured from
the first. The great problem that con-
fronts the berry grower is to get a
sufficiently large crop to insure tinan
cial success. This means many bios
SONS maturing into large fruit. On
the other hand. unless great care is ex-
ercsed in fertilization, especially with
nitrate. there is danger from soft
berries of poor shipping quality. Dur
ing short season when extremely hot
weather prevails, berries thus grown
do not stand up we'll. However, there
are few cases where at least one appli-
cation of such fertilizer will not pay.
and as already suggested. the informa
tion at hand appears to favor applica.
tons after berry harvest. The evil
dence supporting this is not final, how
/ ever.
Another problem upon which the
station is working is that regarding
the best time of topping and irrigat-
ing. Some growers withhold topping
from two weeks to a month after the
end of the berry harvest. Others top
the plants Immediately and continue ir
rigation. Several growers claim to
have checked up this matter pretty
closely and prefer the latter plan. In
no case allow the plants to dry out.
An inspection will convince you that
the service OF the Palace Hotel, Port
land, Oregon, Washington and Twelfth
streets, is second to none Convenient
to shopping and theatre districts, clean.
est rooms in city for 80 cts. and up,