The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-05-16
ano &srosn.

INC SeIetlS, SlrrNDerrleS straw berries,
buy my nice, ripe strawberries here they
CO." 1t Is time that those who live in
tie country were preparing for the crop.
We copy from the Country Gentleman
the condensed report Of an essay on the
culture Of strawberries, read at meeting
OF the Massachusetts Horticultural So
ciety BY Mr.. j. B. Moore, of Concord,
very large grower of this fruit for Boston
market.
He said the best soil for strawberries
is deep loan of sandy or gravelly nature,
but not too dry or ieachy; any soil will
grow them that is not very wet or very
dry but to have them in perfection
good generous loan, well manured, and
thoroughly prepared. it needed. The
land should be TILED at least one season
beforehand with some hoed crop, careful
ly kept from weeds, which, if allowed to
go to seed, will increase the expense of
the strawberry crop. In the fall, plow
the land, and during the winter prepare
compost of peat and manure at the rate
OF 10 cords per acre, to be well worked
over before planting time The compost
should be spread in april and plowed in,
the land we'll Earrowed and smothed, and
the beds so arranged that no surface-wa.
ter can stand in puddles. A line is drawn
across the field, the spade is placed
against the line, driven down six inches,
and the earth thrown out sideways all one
way. The plants, with the roots pruned
and kept damp in wet moss in basket.
are set in this trench by hand, carefully
placing the crown Of the plant on level
with the surface if too deep they rot
if too high they don't thrive The ground
is filled in with hoe after setting the
plants the plants placed l2inches apart
for most kinds the Agriculturist needs
IA inches; the rows feet apart. The
cultiVator is run through the space be-
tween the rows, and the hoe used between
the plants until they begin to lun, when
two plans are tollowed-one for raising
plants, the other for large and fine fruit.
When plants are the object, all the run
ners are allowed to grow, some care be-
ing used to distribute them evenly over
the bed, and when they begin to strike.
the hoe must be hung up and the weed
ing done by hand. Where it is desired
to raise the largest possible amount of
fine fruit, however, two strong runners
only are allowed to grow on each plant,
and these are placed in IL inches at each
side Of the original plant, making bed
Of 3 rows; after these plants strike, the
runner is cut connecting it with the old
they appear; the wedding is done mostly
with small hoe. Several varieties will
not bear this method-the Scarlet Run
ners and the Hovcy Seeding for instance
should always be allowed to run but the
Wilson, Triomphe, LUCINDA, Agricultu-
rist, and most large kinds, do much bet
ter in this method. After the first frosts
Of October the bed should be well cover
ed with litter, the object being not to keep
out frost, but to shade the plants from
the sun and prevent constant freezing
and thawing. The litter should be Sc
cured By bean-poles or other brush from
blowing off; it may be removed from
Aril Is to May list, the beds cleaned of
any weeds, the paths cut clean, and when
the fruit begins to set, mulch of cut
hay or straw thrown between the plants
to keep the ruitsfrom the dirt.
The picking needs great deal Of at
tentlon to secure uniformly neat appear
ance and assortment of the fruit, and
much Of the profit of the business de
ponds upon systematic arrangement of
this part of the affair. After picking, if
the bed is in a healthy condition, the
leaves are moved off close, raked and
burned to destroy insects-a plow run
through the paths, the path smoothed.
and the earth between the plants stirred
with pronged hoe, and a little Peruvian
guano sprinkled over the ground before
rain. This seems like harsh treatment,
and has been much criticized, butt is good
practice. The plants soon start with
great yigor and make few runners, but
strong stool, and the second crop is gen.
orally better and surer than the first
Mr.. Moore has practiSed this plan for
number Of years, and commends it with
confidence he says his third crop is gen.
orally as good as the frst-the second bet
ter; intends to try bed this year for a
fourth crop. He has no doubt that by
keeping the plants in hills, as above de-
scribed, the expense Of planting new
bed is a great deal more than the clean
ing an cid one, and the crop full as good
from the old bed. The Wilson is the
great market sort; the Triomphe and the
LUCINDA are both good for big berries
the President Wilder is good berry, but
not heavy bearer.
Dir. Moore said he found drained mead
ow land good for the strawberry: that he
could not state with accuracy the profits
realized from an acre Of this fruit, but
that be knew that last summer ne bad
about 8 acres in bearing order; he sold
some In small quantities at home, and his
consignee in Boston returned him besides
81, 500; he thought it paid him fer the
outlay and something more. He had
often filed quart box at one picking,
from one plant of the Wilson; parts of
his bed had yielded at the rate of 10000
boxes the acre fair crop was 5000 or
5000 boxes the acre.
Mr.. Hovey said an English strawberry
grower once told him the secret of rails
ing large fruit was to be found In two
words, pump, nsan1tre--n10nufe, pump.
I'll of