Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-02

yield anabundance Cor fiInily use OF this
most delicious and healthy fruit. The
season. for putting out strawberry plants
wall soon be upon us, and those who have
the ground should try the experiment of
raising their own fruit Farmers who
have an abundance of land will find straw
berry culture very profitable Any one
who may visit our market during the
strawberry season will soon satisfy him
self of this fact Those who iAtend to
cultivate the strawberry should get plants
Of the best varieties. The Wilson AL
bany Seeding is favorite with many
growers, as best containing the advan-
tages Of quality, productiyeness and har-
diness There are several other varieties,
as the Georgia Mammoth and the Iowa
Seeding, which are regarded by some as
the equal if not the superior of the AL
bany Seeding These choice varieties
can be obtained in sufficient quantities to
supply any demand
The mode Of cultivation is important.
Almost any ground will produce them if it
is rich enough. This secured, the first
thing is to see that the ground is thorough
| ly cleansed of weeds and grass before the
plants are set, and that no grass roots or
weeds are mixed with the plants. II is
Of little use TO plant Strawberries in foul
land, especially If it be foul with grass
roots for these will 50 entWine themselves
with the roots Of the plant that it ia next
to impossible to separate them.
There are two modes of cultivation in
use One is to plant in hills some three
feet apart each way, and keep them there
| The other is TO plant in rows four or five
feet apart and allow the plants in each
row 70 form matted surface the whole
length, aud from II to Is inches wide, linl-
iting them, inHexibly, to this width by cnt-
| ting off the runners with sheep shears, or
sharp wheel run along the side of the row,
and keeping the spaces between these lin
its clear of everything. After fruiting,
dress the rows down to about six inches in
width for next years growth. About every
third year after the first bearing, let the
runners have possession of the space be-
tween, and pillow up the old rows, and thus
| keep changing without the trouble of set
ting anew by hand.
But the opinions Of the most experienced
| cultivators are setting in favor of the hill
| system Of cultivation, and we are inclined
to recommend it rather than the matted
row system. It's advantages are said to be,
stronger rOotsand, as a natural consequence,
larger fruit and more Of it. II gives an
opportunity for more thorough cultivation,
and the land is much easier kept clean. Peo-
pie too naturally suppose that the ground
not covered by the vines is wasted. This
no more follows than that the space be-
tween hills of corn is wasted. Yon NAV
plant corn SO thick that you will have moth
ing but a swamp Of spindling stalks. So
your strawberry vines may be 80 thick that
you will have nothing but straw and a poor
crop at that. Give your strawberries room
to grow and yourself room TO work among
them and you viii find your account in it.
One word about manure Unless the
ground is naturally very rich it should be
manfred, and the condition Of the fertilizer
used is important. Common BARNARD
manure is too productive of weeds unless
it has lain in pile two or three years and
the seed thoroughly rotted out. Well rot
ted peat manure from the marsh will be
found as clean as anything; and if the soil
is little stiff it will be quite appropriate.
The vines must also be slightly covered in
the winter, and ia mulching, care must be
used TO select some material which will not
foul the land, for weeds and grass are the
ruin of astraWberry bed.