The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-04-24
RESULTS OF BERRY
FERTILIZATION
by Gordon G Brown
Concluded from last week.

time. Unfortunately, owing 10 the
ravages of the root weevil the two ex-
periments being conducted with plants
still in their prime had to be disccntin
ued after only one seasons work Con-
sequentiy from the meager data at
hand We do not feel justified in form.
ilg definite conclusions along this line.
In one test with plants bearing their
first crop it was found that yields We're
consistently increased by applications
of barnyard n anure. The plants were
quite vigorous, having been set on cle-
Yer sod recently turned under. In an
other test, evidence tends to support
fall applications as compared with
spring applications. The evidence in
this respect was not consistent in all
cases, however.
The question has been raised regard
ing the probable number of years,
barring insects and diseases, during
which patch may be expected to bear
profitable crops. | wish to present at
this time some evidence furnished us
by grower who produced his berries
between tree rows, as Is the custom in
the valley. The patch covers six acres
bQl SillSC W iQC OIL lRS
have been left on each side Of the tree
row the actual acreage in berries is
less than this. These plants have
borne six crops. They were set on new
ground (red shoU which had Just been
cleared. The use of clover and other
legumlnous crop as green manure was
not made, nor was any commercial fer
tilizer employed until after the third
crop, when blood meal was used. In
the late summer of 1916 l00-pound
application per acre of nitrate was
broadcasted when topping was COM
pleted. The owner was so impressed
with results that he made a similar ap-
plication during the summer of 1917,
hoping thereby to get one more, the
sixth, crop. The yields are reported
as follows:
First crop. 5l5 packed crates.
Second crop, 637 packed crates
3, ,043 pounds of field picks for the can.
merry.
Third crop, 465 packed crates; l,5l2
pounds field pick.
Fourth crop Col packed crates; Z, ,056
pounds field pick.
Fifth crop, GOT packed crates; 5, 557
pounds field pick.
Sixth crop, estimated, $50 packed
crates.
AS will be seen the largest crop Sc
: cured was the fifth one following ar
application of nitrate the previous
f summer. Yields for the last year are
estimated. A few more than 800 crates
were packed out when, owing to the
! shortage of labor, picking was discOn'
tlnued with many berries yet to be
picked.
: These yields not only throw light
, upon the subject of the length of life
} of the strawberry during which 1T may
2 produce commercially, but upon the
! practical value of using clover as q
green manure before plants are set.
They do not compare favorably witt
those yields recorded herein. However
that it paid the owner to take sixth
crop before blowing up the patch is
! found in the fact that, owing to gooC
$ prices, he realized over 500 there
( from. In this patch we conducted
y some experiments in 1918 which show
! some very encouraging evidence tt
e support summer applications as com
f pared with those put on in early
e spring
{ First of all, the evidence in favor q
n the use of clover as green manure
crop is very clear in that yields art
o greatly increased. even on virgin sUlls
: such as those on which these tests art
secured. cheaply, in that the need o1
additional fertilizer is relatively less
However, as may be seen. still fur
ther increases in yields are possible | !
the addition of commercial fertiIiztl
: such as nitrate, which has given great
est gains. On the other hand, while
. great gains may be secured by the US,
= of commercial fertilizers without tn,
use of clover there is little evidence t
support the idea that yields will com
pare favorably with those where clio
yer, alfalfa, manure, etc, are III ed a.
basis. This is a recommendation es
pecially applicable to growers of ber
RES on some of the lighter soils in tn,
Lower Valley where water holding ca
pacity and fertility are often poor OF
account of the lack of humus Or
strong soils the need of additional fer
tilizer is relatively less than on tn,
| lklltCt OOllo. iObGbiN VII al COiio ~
moderate amount of nitrogen IT,
readily available form is desral lie
Where plants are inclined to MAX,
tardy growth during the first sea ,ol
before production begins the use o
nitrate should be profitable. The ain
should be to secure good, big thrift,
plant which is capable of bearing
large crop However, avoid extrem es
In the use Of nitrate let me utg,
modef alton. During hot picking sea
sons such as the two last, there il
grave danger of producing soft berries
unless they are picked very promptly
During a cool picking season the dan
ger is relatively less. In this respec
number of picking days in 1915 ant
1916 were 49 and 38. respectively
versus only % and 25 for 1917 ant
1918; this, as measured by the dates o
first and last carloads of fruit shipped
by the Association. AS will be re
membered, we did not secure goot
response from the use of potash. Il
all fairness, however, will say that tb
berries from plants thus treated wer
somewhat tirmer and possessed bette
shipping quality than those taken from
the heavily nitrated plants. Possiol
when potash is again available it vii
be advisable to use this in combinat OF
of fertilizers used.
Data appears to bear out the u e.
that cor servative practices will u v
the best results. Probably not over 2
pounds Of nitrate per season can b
considered safe. During some season
this may be too much. Whether to Up
nlv in one or two applications will lie
pend upon the character of the soi
very Largely. With porus soils such a
that used in this test. the two appica
ton plan has proved wise. We woIl
advise the grower to make suita ii
tests under his own conditions in o. le
that our store Of knowledge along I n
line may be increasej.
0.-W. R. d N. Go. Time Table
WEST ROI'ND