Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-07-09
From the Lake City Lcader.l
Strawberry Culture.

Strawberry Culture.
The fine samples OF cultivated straw
berries on exhibition in the shop win
dows, and the beds of ripening fruit
occasionally seen in the gardens, by pass
ers by, will stimulate a desire, about
these times, in the mind of every one who
does not raise strawberries. to plant q
bed of them hereafter. and not be de.
pendent upon the market for another
seasons supply. To encourage and as
sst all such as may read our paper. and
who may need information on this sub
ject, we offer some hints, based on our
own successful cultivation of the Wilson
variety, for several years, here and at
our former home on the Wisconsin side
We shall confiRe our remarks to the
Wilson, because it is ty universal consent
the best strawberry for general cutiva
ton, and the one to be recommended to
an amateur who wishes to make begin
ming with only one kind and make sure
of crop.
Anil first we will say, every man hav-
ing the use of garden should cultivate
the strawberry. Josh Billings says:
''The strawberry il one Nv natur's
sweet pets. She makes them with fifty
cents a quart, the fust she makes, and
never allows them tew be sold at mean
price. There il many breeds NV this
delightful vegetable, but not mean one
in the hull lot. The man who ken eat
Strawberries, besprinkled with krushed
sugar and despatched with kream, Cat
somebody's else expense) and not lay biz
hand on hiz stummuk and thank the
author Of strawberries and stummuks
and the fellow who pays for the straw
berries, IL man with a worn out con-
science, man whose mouth tastes like q
hole in the ground, and don't care what
goes down it."
And we will add that the man who
can behold a bed of the ripening fruit
the plump berries blushing scarlet and
crimson under their green leaves-with.
out an ambition to coax nature to adorn
his garden with so much beauty and
supply bis family with SO much sweet.
ness, might rs well wear goggles and
feed on skim milk AMI cold huckleberry
pudding
Let all trades live, especially the gar
deners and horticu.urists who make it n
business to supply our tables with whole
some fruits and early vegetables; but #
everybody would raise their own who
can, land the half of them, strangely
enough, will not) the pIopoi ton of those
who can not is so large that the market
can hardly be overstotked, so as to bring
the fruit below paying price.
Considering the time of year when
these hints are given, plant in July or
August, as soon as you can obtain plants
from this years runners--the earlier the
better. Then fair crop of berries
often nearly full crop-can be obtained
next season. Always set out young
plants, if they can be obtained
To prepare the ground, dig it up thor
oughIy, kill out the weeds; then take a
hoe and ridge the ground slightly into
rows about two feet and half apart
Now wait for rainy day, or cloudy
one, or some evening, when the ground
is wet, and set out the plants on the
ridges, eighteen inches or two feet apart
in the row. la taking the plants from
the old bed, run q transplantlng trowel
or spade under them, or cut down round
them, and get up rs much Of the root
and as little bruising or disturbance of
the roots as possible. Much of the first
years growth depends upon gentle treat
ment in transplantiug a good way is
to first make the holes where the plants
re to be set, if the old bed is near by,
and then employ a party of children to
carry the plants in both LANDS, with as
much of the clnging soil as their hands
and the roots can hold, and deposit the
precious burdens, one plant at a time,
carefully in the holes. A parcel of
urchins will do sight of such work, on
short spirit, and do it we'll, for what
candy dime will buy. Let the holes
for the plants be large enough, and then
spread the roofs and sprangles we'll out
in their natural position, and put the dirt
firmly over them. leaving the stalk or
crown OF the plant trihe lower than it
originally grew. Strawberry plants
taken up and set out thus carefully will
hardly know that they have been moved.
A Wilson will throw out runners in a
day or two, and if we'll tended and the
runners kept off, a single plant viii show
from five to seven bearing crowIs next
spring, produce from pint to quart of
berries and the whole hill cover as much
ground as a half bushel measure. We
have seen hills of last August planting
that are larger than this. and now ripen-
ing not less than a quart of berries each
"a single root, rsmember-maoy of the
berries being three to five inches in cir
conference. Young plants will live, if
transp!antej less carefully, and after a
years struggle recover add attain yig-
orous growth; but it will pay to give
them careful treatment on the start.
When the plants have to be carried
too far to 60 with one at time, lay
them in tub or pail, and keep the roots
damp and protected from sun and air.
Water these plants copiously with a