Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1841-04-03
From The Aibaiy CnltivatOr.
cuiture OF tho Strawberry.

Culture OF tho strawberry.
In my ! ST Ipromised 10 give you my plan ofcul-
tlv0tng the strawberry, which having succeeded
Tor seven or eight years, producing full supply of
fruit with much less labor is conceive, worthy of
being made public. The duration of bed cutva-
ted after my plan, is also matter of grea, cunse.
quencc
have never grown any OF the choicet varieties.
except Kecne s seeding nor h.vc produced fruit so
large as have figured OF described, but as IL
the amount produced on gwen space, think |
can compete with the most fortunate or skillful.
For soil, chose that between the extremes of
dry and mois', n little gravclly prefer, which !
prepare hy mixing we,l-rotted leaves roion wood,
and COW yard manure in about equal quantities,
which have well mixed with the soil, by spading
ploushing in deep, if with the plough, some two
or three times then level the ground, but do
not raise j, above the walks SO that it will receive
and retain oil the water which falls upon i. !
thus prepare my Ilanta,ion, either in auutnn or
spring. The former is preferable, August or Sep
tembCr, so that the young plants can take root
range my beds about six feet wide, putting in the
plants about foot asundcr each way. At Or near
the approach the winter, give slight covering Of
tan bark say the first year, the second Of wet or
roung leaves and the third Of some light mould
well roted manure, and so on alternately. The
tan or leaves are hes, the first, as oiher of them
better protect the plants. If the plantation was
made in autumn, by next July August the
/ whole surface should be well covered with the
vines, which will spring up through the top dress
ing without much difficulty; at which time pass
through the plantation with spade cutting through
say lencthwisc. about one spit wide, and turning
under the plants then leaving about the same
width, and so on altcrna,iyely through the whole
bed. Top dress as above for the winter and next
spring as the frost is out of the ground suffi-
contly dry TO leave the earth or soil light me!-
low, ] cut through tho bed crossways with the
spade, in the same manner as before
| If the plantation made In the sprin-, the
first spajing should be performed the next spring,
and so on semi-annualy from year TO year. In an
old bed take care 10 turn under the old plants 50
as always TO keep up succession Of new and Wig
orous plants-I never disturb the manures, and do
not know but the best time to perform the second
spaling of the season would be Immediately after
gathering The fruit, to give the runners o
light open sol to take root in. From the success
have met with by this process, | nm inclined t.
think that bed platform will last twenty years OF
perhaps even century. | had bed seven years
old, in garden abandoned, without any care las;
sIEing even last year after March working. which
produced ITS usual quantity Of fruit this SEASON,
During the blooming season, unless in wet wel.
TIER, always give sligt watering from pot
with a every evening 10 set the fruit. Thi.
must never I've omitted If fruit be an object
Another Circumstance must not be overlooked
that you have bearing or fertile plants. A little
observation or skill on the part Of the culivaor
will enable him to distinguish the barren from the
fertile plants, from the large .howy flowers, with
long sinmens, red or black anthrrs Of the former
while the latter are almost destitute of stamnns OF
authers, and the petals of the flowers ATE very
small. II is said to be necessary to plant both kind.
together in order to success. OF the truth of this
have some doubts but have not eNperimentct
sufficiently on the matter to determine.
As to the produce, believe, without difficulty
by my plan of culture | can grow one kundrea
aadsiGiy bushels of this delicious fruit to the
per onnum, or one bushel to every square rod. IN
decd, haya ly actual measurement greatly cx
ceoded this, J. OLLIE.