Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-09-02
Growing Strawberries for Market.

Growing Strawberries for Market.
Hoveys Magazine of fHorticulture for August,
has an article on Strawberry Culture, from
which We make the following extract:
We shall now detail the two modes pursued
By the cultivators around Boston. Wesay two,
We have witnessed, and these comprise the Bel
mont system and that pursued by Mr.. Scott, and
some others.
The Belmont growers prepare their ground
well sy some crop the previous year to planting.
They manure well and plough deep, and set ont
their plants In April or May. These are plant
cd in single rows, about q foot apart IN TIE rop,
and just four Jsst from .rou to roto, running
the whole width and length of the ground, with
an occasional cross alley of three feet for easy
access to the centre Of f'the field. The ground
10 kept clean until the runners begin % spread
rapidly towards the last Of June, when no more
labor IL required during the season, other than
to pull out few weeds, for the young plants so
quickly and completely cover the ground that
very few weeds will start up. By the autumn,
the whole ground viii be covered, when walk
about foot wide is cleared out In the middle
Of the rows, leaving solid beds of plants just
three feet wide. This walk is for the pickers
to stand in, also to afford air and light to the
plants. On the approach of winter the beds
are covered with meadow hay, which Is remov-
ed in the spring, except that in the walks be-
tween the beds, which IL left undisturbed in or
der to keep the fruit clean.
The fruit begins to ripen about the middle of
June, and is usually all gathered by the 10th of
July, when the beds are immediately turned
under with the pillow, a new plantation made in
the spring supplying the crop for the next
year. The next spring the land is well ma
nured and planted with potatoes or some other
crop, and the following year is ready for anoth-
or plantation of strawberries.
This Is the mode now pursued By the best
Belmont cultivstors with the Hovey's Seeding,
and though an old plan, pursued by English
tuldystors as We have above shown, il was en-
tirely original here with Mr.. J: o. Locke who
first tried 1t, and with 30 much success that
nearly all follow it. The old plan was to keep
the beds two or three years, and this is still
followed by those who raise the Old Virginia.
As regards fertilizers, the Belmont growers
plant six rows Of Hoyey's Seeding, and then
one or two rows of Jenny Lind, Boston Pine,
or Brighton Pine. These are ample to thor
oughly fertiliEe the plants. These sorts are
subjected to the same treatment-all plowed up
after one crop.
The system pursued by Mr.. Scott and some
OF the extensive Brighton growers is different.
1t Is as follows: The beds are marked out three
feet apart, with an alley Of foot, (which is
just the same as the Belmont growers alIou:)
but tsco rows Of plants are set out In each bed,
instead Of one; these are planted about nine
inches from the edge, leaving space Of about
eighteen inches between the two rows. The
plants are allowed to cover all the ground,
(three feet wide,) the runners In the walks
being cleared away.
The treatment the first year Is Just as we have
detailed with the Belmont growers. But in
stead Of plowing mp the beds after the frst
crop, they are allowed to stand the second
year, keeping them clean and removing super
fuous runners. The crop the second year is
good, but not equal 70 the first; after that they
are plowsd and the ground cultivated year or
two with some crop, when it Is again occupied
with strawberries
The difference In the two modes is this:
The fruit Of the Belmont growers Is In the
highest perfection every year. lexcepting
drought,) with less labor In planting the beds
at frst, and in keeping down the weeds the
second year. BY the Belmont plan, there is
crop every other year; by the Brighton plan,
two crops in three years. But 1t Is believed
that the extra size and product of the Belmont
system viii yield q much greater profit than
the inferior size and diminished product Of the
second year on the Brighton plan. What the
exact crop Of Mr.. Scott Is per acre, taking the
two years, We do not know, but the crop Of Mr..
Wellington was 400 quarts In 1859, 1000 in
1850, and this year, in consequence of the dry
weather, less than $500. The difference in
the expense Of culture is, We should suppose,
not large; but the crop must be smaller and
inferisr the second year.
TO RIPEN LATE TOMATOES
The tomato season ends with the first part Of
autumn. If the plants are pulled up before
the frost comes, and hung up In q wsll-ventila-
ted cellar, with the tomatoes on them the fruit
win continue ripering until Christmas. The
cellar seould not be too dry nor too warm
Gen. Farmer. In Britain We hang them up
under the roof of q winery or peach house, from
which the fruit has been gathered In this
way they rpen, although quite green when re-
moved from the ground. So excellent fruit,
however, deserves to be grown throughout the
winter, which is easily done By growing them in
twelve inch pots, and setting them in q melon
or cucumber pit, after the melon crop is finish
ed. In mean temperature Of IS deg. they
viii continue to grow and ripen their fruit until
the season returns for commencing melon cul-
ture again. l-Seottish Parmsr and HoyficnI.
tHrtst.
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