Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-05-26


We cheerfully comply with his request
The cultivation Of the garden varieties Of
the strawberry, is becoming almost universal,
even upon farms, rs better culture and more
care Of the grass crop excludes the wild
strawberry and wild strawberry pickers from
the fields, And, indeed, any one who will
give them the little attention they require,
will find that it is not only much more con-
venient to have strawberries in the garden,
but also a saving Of time and money TO cult
vate them, rather than to depend upon the
wild crop for a supply of this delicious fruit.
We sometimes, however, hear people say
that the wild Strawberries arc much better
than cultivated ones and that consequently
they prefer them, even at the extra trouble
required to gather them. We are far from
undertaking a nice dish Of field berries,
but we cannot help thinking that those who
deprcciate cultivated sorts In comparison,
have but little acquaintance with many va
rieties Of superior excellence which have
been produced by the care and skin Of hor-
tculturists on both sides of the Atlantic.
II may, however, with truth be said that
with strawberries as with apples, pears,
plums, cherries and indeed most fruits, the
finer favored sorts are not the most easily
grown. Yet after all, the difference in
trouble and expense required for the produc-
ton of all the fruit necessary TO supply q
family with the very best sorts, instead OF
the easily grown kinds, is so small that no.
body need be deferred from having them, on
that account
So far as our observation extends, the
most common mistake made by those who
grow strawberries in the garden, is in try
ing to perpetuate the beds more than two
years. Nothing in a garden offers so fine
chance for weed seeds to collect and
grow safely, as strawberry bed. Even
if the plants are kept strictly in hills, and
the runners removed with persistent care,
dandelion, white clover and grass, will find
protection under the spreading leaves, and
cause unlimited trouble in removing them.
And in matted bed of plants and runners
the case is very much worse.
Next to weeds, drouth is the great foe Of
the strawberry crop. Very often, even in a
wet summer, we have two weeks or so of
dry, hot weather about the last Of June aud
first of July, just when the berries are swell
ing and ripening This will much impair
the YIELD and if it continues into the third
week, will cut off all the later berries.
Any plan Of avoiding these two difficulties
will prove very advantageous to the straw
berry grower. We should, (and do), obviato
them both first by setting the plants this
spring for crop next year, and blowing
them up as soon as the crop is gathered, hay-
ing set new bed somewhere else for the
succeeding year; and, second by having the
beds handy to water, either near the well or
by the side Of brook, so that in case OF
drouth they can be easily watered.
The plan Of taking but one crop from a
setting, may seem to some a wasteful one
both of time and labor, but we have not
found it so Oh the contrary we practice il
to save time and labor. In very clean land
or where hill-culture is practiced, bed may
be allowed TO stand another year, but the
crops always fall off after the first while Tia,
labor increases.
Too little attention is paid to the selection
of plants for setting out new bed, and ais,
to the work of setting them out No old o
weak plants should ever be used. Take al
ways the strongest plants Of last year
growth. Young plants may be distinguished
from old ones by their yellow roots, the root,
of old plants being black. As to care ii
setting strawberry plants, we feel rather dis
couraged in offering advice, since we find il
so difficult to induce would-be fruit grower,
to take any proper care in setting fruit trees
But it makes very great difference in tn
yield Of a strawberry bed, whether the root
Of the plants are jammed in together, in
small hole, or spread out carefully, as the,
grew.
Strawberries require rich soil; all the bet
ter if it is naturally rather moist, so that i
be not wet, or the moisture stagnant. Som
varieties require richer land than others.
good crop of the Wilson's Albany Ohe mos
common garden Variety is not to be hope
for on poor soil, though ON rich one
yields profusely. On only moderately ric
land, especially if it is sandy, either tn
Green Prolific or Frcnch's Seeding will b
found to yield better than the Wilson
The best kind of manure for strawberr
bed is well rotted COW dung. A spoonful o
mod gitnarrboapbata eooitnra1 .ro,n1 A., Il
plant, at the time of setting will help to Civ
avigorous growth. Ashes are also beneficial
on light soils.
Strawberries should be hoed as faithful
as cabbages during the first year of thei
growth. Ifgrown in hills the runners Shout
be removed at each hoeing If in rows III
runners should pushed around, so as to hay
the young plants root between and alon
side Of the old ones. For all the America
varieties we prefer the row system. III
foreign sorts usually do best in hills. Bu
many Of the new varieties are SO muc
crossed and hybridised that each sort r.
quires to be studied by itself as to its ada
tation to one method or the other. II the tel
dency of the plant is to grow up out of III
ground, forming high crown, as mo-
foreign sorts viii, and especially if the be
is to be preserved more than one or two year
the hill system is the best, because the hill
can be earthed up and the plants be thu
better protected against winter-killing.
Winter protection is essential to stray
berries in Vermont. The best protection
snow, and if the spot where they are plantc
is one upon which the snow gathers an
stays, that is enough, except in occasions
open winters. But where tho snow blow
off, or lies thin, as on southcrly and wester
slopes, the beds should be protected wit
evergreen branches, straw, or dry leave
With the latter it is necessary TO throw @
some brush, in order to keep the wind froi
blowing them off, A few poles are al,
needed to keep straw from being blow
away Heavy litter, like bean straw, swan
hay, or corn stalks, is apt to kill the plant
The covering, whatever it may be, should b
raked off by the first Of May and may /
left ipfNaat. fla fn.uc ~ . ,,,,I.I ....l l.