The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-11-11
Planting Strawberries in the
Fall,

HENDERSON,. III Is worthy tue ATTENTION
Of every strawberry grower; y
Our success in the culture OF straw
berries. by the system of layering the
runners in pots, has been so complete
the past season, that even at the risk of
repeating some Of the directions already
given, I will briefly state how 1t is
done. In July Of 1876 we threw out
every other row Of the plants that had
frulted, thus leaving the rows four feet
apart. This space between the rows
was deeply ploughed three or four
times. so as to thoroughly pulverize it.
It was then levelled with rake, and
the runners from the old plants, as soon
as they began to grow freely, led out
upon 1t. Flower pots, two and half
inches in diameter. were filled. with
and plunged into the soil up to the
brim and the layers or buds at the ends
Of the runners were placed on the earth
In these pots. To keep the runners In
place, we use small fiat stones, which
are laid upon them, and these also help
to mark the places where the pots are
sunk. The layers so placed on the soil
Of the pots are not only kept down, but
are kept moist by the stone, and root
rapidly. In two or four weeks from
the time the operation is done, the
plants are well rooted In the pots, and
ready to be set out. Our plants last
year were set out from the pots the first
week in August, not single plant
died, and all grew freely. They were
set in rows two feet apart, and eighteen
inches between the plants, and all the
runners made were at once pinched off
so that by the end of the season each
plant was nearly one foot in diameter,
having finely developed Crowns for
next seasons fruiting. The ground
had been first prepared before planting
by ploughing and subsoiling 10 the
depth of eighteen inches, turning down
at the same time three or four inches of
well-rotted manure, from the horse or
COW stable. OF course the ground was
kept entirely clear of weeds. BY the
middle Of December, the whole bed of
strawberry plants was covered with
salt meadow hay STRAW, leaves, or
anything similar, will do as we'll, to
the depth of two or three inches. en-.
tirely covering up the plants and soil
30 that nothing was seen but the hay.
BY April the plants showed indications
Of growth, then the hay was pushed
little aside, and by May the full devel.
oped plant showed on the clean sur
face of the hay. This mulching Is in
dispensable TO the best culture, as 1t
protects the plants from the cold In
winter, keeps the fruit clean, and at
the same time keeps the roots cool by
shading the soil from the hot sun In |
June. The crop began rIpening June
10th, and was at its best on June 18th
the yield was perfectly enormous Each |
plant ofthe Seth Boyden" variety
averaged a quart, many of the berries
being nearly an ounce In weight. In
trial of some fifteen varieties, our
choice was for the following as present.
Ing the best combination of qualities
seth Boyden," earliest and largest,
and fair flavor; Monarch of the Vest
late, large size, and fine flavor, "Chas.
Downing" medium early. medium
size, fine favor. Our soil IL heavy
clayey loan. with stiff subsoll. am
convinced that the most profitable way
to grow strawberries, either for mar
ket or for private use,is by this system.
Any handy man can place 1000 layers
in pots in day. Each layer in ten
months, makes plant that gives its
full crop of fruit. The labor is less than
by any other method, because nothing
more than has to be done after planting
but to keep the crop clear of weeds, and
pinch of the runners for only six
weeks of the year, while with beds
planted In spring, in the usual way you
have nearly six months work on them,
with no better plants in the fall. BE.
sides, when ground is limited, there Is
plenty of time by this system to.throw
out the plants that have fruited in
June, and plant the same ground over
again in August with the young plants
from pots. That is really our own |
practice. for the space we devote to
Strawberries is less than an acre. In
our experiments, the past season, we
found that no variety which had been
left two seasons to fruit produced so
large crop as the young plants, and
the berries were hardly hall the sizs.
This system of starting plants in pots,
and setting them out In August, prop
erly carried out, will never fall to give
entire satisfaction in growing straw
berries.-[N. f. Farmer.