"Some people recommend horse manure on strawberries,…

“Some people recommend horse manure on strawberries, but I prefer whipped cream” is an old joke. “Manure on strawberries” refers to fertilizing strawberry plants; “whipped cream on strawberries” refers to eating the strawberries.

The joke has been cited in print since at least 1934, when it involved a farmer (who puts manure on strawberries) talking to an inmate of an insane asylum (who puts cream on strawberries).

Cartoon Stock
‘I’m collecting manure for my strawberries.’ ‘I always put cream and sugar on mine.’
Artist: McCracken, Theresa
Search ID: tmcn1786
High Res: 2160x2160 (unwatermarked)
Tags:
horse, horses, manure, organic manure, horse manure, fertile, fertiliser, fertilisers, nutrients, nutrient, strawberry, strawberries, organic, organic farming, garden, gardener, gardeners, organic food, organic fruit, nutrition, dairy, milk products, dessert, desserts

Newspapers.com
27 December 1934, The Berkshire Evening Eagle (Pittsfield, MA), “The Referee’s Sporting Chat” by John M. Flynn, pg. 11, col. 3:
Dressing Up Strawberries
Dan Parker, sports editor of the New York Daily Mirror, tells a story which has to do with a visit to Gus Wilson’s training camp at Orangeburg, N. Y., to cover the training activities of a boxer.

“Gus has a large farm, and raises, among other things, strawberries,” said Dan. “His farm is close to a New York State hospital for the insane, and a number of the inmates, former boxers who became punch-drunk, are well known to Gus. They talk to him when he drives or walks past the institution.

“One day while I was there,” continued Dan, “Gus took his truck out of the garage and asked if I cared to take a short ride with him, and having some time on my hands I joined him. He had to get a load of manure to spread over his strawberry patch.

“On the return trip we were passing the asylum when a chap shouted from behind the grating:

“‘Hey Gus, what have you got on the truck?’

“‘A load of manure for my strawberries,’ replied Gus.

“‘Ha, ha, that makes me laugh,’ said the inmate. ‘We put cream on ours, and they put us in here.’”

Google Books
Medical and Dental Bulletin
Polish Medical and Dental Association of America
Volume 6
1934
Pg. 209:
Paging Dr. Dombrowski
One day, a farmer driving a wagonload of manure past the local insane asylum was hailed by one of the inmates thus:
“Hey, what are you going to do with that manure?”
Farmer: “I’m going to put this manure on my strawberries.”
Inmate: “My God! and they keep me locked up—I put cream on my strawberries.”

Newspapers.com
9 June 1972, The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ), “Ruth Fetterman’s County Commentary,” pg. 7, col. 3:
“Why, I put manure on my strawberries!”

Some character in the audience asked, “Why don’t you use sugar and cream like everybody else?”

Google Books
Laughs, Hoots & Giggles
By Joseph Rosenbloom
New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Company
1984
Pg. 264:
An inmate at the insane asylum was sunning himself on the porch as a farmer passed by with a load of manure on his truck.
“Hey, Mr. Farmer,’ called the inmate, “what are you going to do with that load Of manure?”
“Put it on my strawberries,” the farmer called back.
“And they call me crazy!” the inmate chuckled. “I always use cream.”

Google Groups: aus.jokes
To flamers of all type…
Peter Moylan
Nov 9, 1995, 3:00:00 AM
(...)
ObJoke:

A man was taking a load of manure home in a horse cart, when he passed the local insane asylum. An inmate (working near the fence), called out to the man.

Where are you going with that manure?

The man responded “Home, to put it on my strawberries”.

The inmate replied “Gee, you should live here, we get cream on ours”.

Google Groups: soc.retirement
Really bad meat
Doris Johnston
Sep 2, 1997, 3:00:00 AM
(...)
Reminds me of the old, old, old joke about one farmer chatting up with his neighbour farmer on the road one day. “What are you going to do with that load of manure, Joe?” sez farmer #1.

“I’m going to put it on my strawberries,” sez farmer #2.

“That’s strange,” sez farmer #1. “We always put cream on ours.”

Google Groups: alt.tv.pol-incorrect
Maher is a Gore Whore
Victoria
Aug 4, 2000, 3:00:00 AM
(...)
I read somewhere that manure is really good on strawberries. Um, I always
thought the proper topping was sour cream or chocolate…

Google Groups: alt.usage.english
AUE T-Shirt
Bob Cunningham
Sep 21, 2001, 5:52:25 PM
(...)
Which is better on strawberries: chicken manure or cow manure?

Skitt
Sep 21, 2001, 6:14:15 PM
“Bob Cunningham”

wrote in message
news:sidnqtcrcrdg84h23…@4ax.com…

I prefer whipped cream.

Twitter
Nigel Wadsworth
@nigelwadsworth
Think I’ll plant some strawberries as well. “What do you put on your strawberries? Manure, or cream?” Hehe.
9:27 PM · Jun 13, 2009·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Simon Lowe
@simonlowe
@fudgecrumpet I’m putting horse manure on my strawberries instead of cream. Just for change. Hope I don’t have to eat it for four years
4:30 AM · Apr 20, 2010·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Andy Weltch
@AWeltch
@penelopeelse Yes, home garden is best. Some people recommend manure on strawberries, but I prefer cream.
10:47 AM · Jul 30, 2010·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Great Day
@gr8_day
A friend suggested horse manure on my strawberries. I’m not making that mistake again. I’m going back to whipped cream.
1:54 PM · Aug 28, 2020·Twitter Web App

Facebook
Crazy World
September 5, 2020 ·
A neighbor suggested I put horse manure on my strawberries. Tried it.
I’m going back to whipped cream.