Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-03-16
Notes ON Strawberries Im Central IHassa-
chusetIs in 1870.
BY JAMES DRAPER, Worcester, Mass

CULTIVATION.
We have had a trying season for this fruit,
and the crop in general was unusually light
more so than any season before for many years
The severe drought had such a marked nfu-
euce on the maturing of the fruit, that we could
hardly count half crop. But these failures
teach us a lesson; for those cultivators who
have adopted the hill system of cultivation, and
mulched their vines heavily, have little cause
for complaint, as there are but small falling
of in the yield, and, prices ranging higher than
usual, the amount realized was equal to, if not
in excess of, that of other years.
But the number that cultivate thus is very
few-hardly one in ten,-the bed system being
the principal one in vogue; but it will not adj
nit of this heavy mulching TO any great advan-
tage Why these growers will not come out of
the old beaten paths, and try, on a small scale,
the culture in hills, cannot imagine. That they
should be content with the yield of seyenty-iYe
to hundred bushels per acre of only ordinary
sized fruit, when nearly double the quantity Of
the finest and largest fruit may as easily be OBJ
tanned, seems equally as strange.
Too much land, undertaking more than can
be done thoroughly, has tendency to keep us
forever poor in New England, and in the Guilt
walton of strawberries in particular. ! would
reduce the number of acres by one half, and
with the same amount of capital expended in
labor and manure, obtain larger and surer crops,
fruit of superior size and quality, that will COM
mand the highest prices, and always meet with
ready sale--an item of no little Importance
in market that is often oyerstocked with this
fruit.
Articles have appeared from time to time in
our journals, on the cultivation of Strawberries,
that have encouraged a careless and slovenly
method of cultivating them, that is quite GER
tam TO result in disappointment and failure. In
failnre, because nearly every season our mar
kets are filled with an inferior quality of fruit,
the product of half-manured, half-cared for land
and oftentimes raised at too great distance
from market TO transport in good order; conse-
| quently, many buyers refuse them, the sales are
small, and many are entirely wasted. In this
loss the grower alone suffers.
| In practicing the culture of Strawberries in
nils, with clipped runners, we find many adj
vantages over the usual bed system. The yield
is much larger from the same space of land, the
| irult is larger, and more even in size, much
more easily gathered, the plants can be heavily
mulched III the summer,-which is a good in.
surance on crop, particularly in a dry
season,-and plantation thus grown will last
| many years longer without resetting and can be
as easily managed, all things considered, as by
any other method.
After thorough trial of the many ways pro.
posed for the growing of this fruit, am led tc
| the following one as the most satisfactory: Sc
lect, if possible, land that is naturally little
| moist, mellow and deep, free as possible from
stones and noxious weeds, and plough to
| depth of twenty TO twenty-lour inches, using
| sub-soil plough, thoroughly pulyeriZng the
soil Then apply the best manure that can b
obtained at the rate of torty-iye to fifty cords t
the acre, working it in by cross-ploughing, anC
then have the ground made as smooth as posi-
BILE by narrowing it. This done, we are ready
for setting the plants
As this operation is one of the most importan
in strawberry culture, too much care cannot b.
exercised. Be sure and obtain plants Of thu
best quality, and strictly pure. More failures
have arisen from setting mixed, worthless plants
because obtained cheaper, than from any Other
cause. do not consider the largest plants al
ways the best, but prefer medium.sized, well
rooted one, that can be set without craInpine
the roots; In setting them, carefully guard
against planting them so deep as to cover the
germ Of the plant, lest il be injured and die
Inc distance apart for setting the plants will
depend upon the labor one can devote 10 The