The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-08-22
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
The Strawberry for thu; Garden.

There is no exc use for any who have even
a small plot of ground, to be without this de-
lcious and salubrious fruit. 1t is an error to
suppose that the labor and care required for
success is great in proportion TO the value ofthe
product. Five dollars woulu have overpaid
the labor hestoWed upon b ads which have
Just yielded more than hundred quarts.
Nor is there anything of skill required beyond
the easy attainment of ordinary minds. A
little observation or instruction from books or
otherwise, a little experience, with little
care and reflection, will ensure remuneratve
success, and secure an abundance of this most
desirable fruit in its season. Its rewards ale
great. The strawberry is the first fruit of
summer. 1t comes when most needed. 1t is
medicine id food. 1t cleanses and iuvigor-
ates the blood. 1t hardels the muscles. 1t
gives strength and freedom from bilious and
febrie diseases. Every family should have it
in profusion.
Now is the time to prepare for the new bed
of strawberries, in order to secure at least
partial supply for next year. The question is
new bed? The proper answer is, when the
plants and the ground are ready for each
other. The sooner the bed is properly plant
ed, the sooner you get fruit. If you plant
your bed during this month or the first half
of September, you get, under varying condi-
tions, from quarter to half crop next year.
But if tie transplanting is not done till
spring, you get 20 fruit Of value the same
year. Thus years time and quarter or half
crop are lost, while the family are famshing
for want of the needed returns.
The new bed should therefore be started
this summer or early autumn. And the
method commended by my experience and
observation is this:
The plants should be Of the present years
growth. They are easily produced of suffi-
cient strength and root by the latter part of
summer or very early autumn. The earliest
runners put forth are not so strong as those
of later growth, and hence it is not best to
seek 10 obtain very early plants. For early
planting, if the planter has no bed to propa-
gate from, they should be procured from some
kind neighbor, or some friend or commercial
gardener within convenient distance, since in
warm weather the soft and succulent plants
are brought long distances only with great
care, and with difficulty and loss.
Meantime the planter must have regard to
the preparation of his ground. The most
convenient method is to plant some early crop
ON the ground intended for the beds. This
crop being removed, the ground is to be
thoroughly titled, and deeply, and plenty
of manure Well mingled in the surface; we'll
rotted manure, the farmers say. This is
most convenient, if one has it. But l have
never seen any but good results from crude
manure. Good super-phosphate of lime may
well serve in part for manure.
Your plants and ground are now ready for
each other, and your bed is well started with
promise of early product, when the former
are well planted in the latter, and liberal
dressing of hard wood ashes, if you have
them, cast upon the surface. WIG.
Aug. II, 1874.