Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-10-31
agricultural,
Planting Strawberries IN the FdH.

The following is letter from Peter
Henderson. Ii Is worthy the attention Of
every strawberry grower; Our success
in the culture OF Strawberries, by the syS-
TEN Of layering the runners in pots, has
been 50 complete the past season, that
even at the risk OF repeating some OF the
directions already given, | will briefly
state how it Is done In July Of 1879
we threw out every other row OK plants
that had frujtcd. thus leaving the rows
four feet apart. This space between the
rows was deeply pioughed three or four
times, so as to thoroughly puiyerize 1t.
Ii was then leve,ed with rake, and the
runners from the old plants, as soon a
they began TO grow freely, led out upon
it. Flower pots, - inches in diameter,
were filled with. aud 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 run
ners in place, We use small Aat stones,
which arc laid upon them. aud these also
help 10 mark the places where the pots
are sunk. The layers 50 placed on the
soil Of the pots are not only ke1t down,
but are kept moist by the stone, and root
rapidly. In TWO TO four weeks from the
time the operation Is done, the plants are
well-rooted in the pots, and are ready 10
be set out. Our plants last year were set
from the pots the first week in August,
not single plant died, and all srcw free
ly. They were set in rows two feet apart.
and ) inches between the plants. and all
the runners made were at once pmched off,
so that by the end Of the seaS)n each
plant was nearly one foot in diameter.
having finely developed "crowus" for next
seasons fruiting The gronud had been
first prepared before planting by plough
Ing aud subSoiing to the depth OF : III
ches, turning down at the same time > or
1 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 vii. 90 as Well, 10 the
depth OF two or three inches, entirely COW
ering up the plants and soil 50 that moth
Ing was seen but the hay. BY April the
plants showed indications Of growth. then
she hay was pr she'd aside, ana by MAY,
the full deyelo ped plant showed on the
clean surface O. the hay. This mu,chinc
is Indispensable 20 the best culture. - 1t
protects the pia nt> from the cod in VIM
ter, keeps the TO ots coOl by >ha Ting the
soil from the no sun in June. The crop
began ripening J unc 10Th, ana was at It's
best on June 9th the yield was perfect
ly enormous. Zach plant Of the Seth
Boyden' varie, y averaged quart, many
OF the berries >eing nearly au ounce in
weight In = .r.al OF some J > varieties
our choice was Tor the following, as pre-
sentiEg the be st combination Of qualities:
seth Boyde.l, earliest and largest, and
tair favor Monarch OF the West, late
large size, and favor; "Chas. Downing. s."
medium ca rly, and Of medium SIZE, fine
favor. Cur soil Is heavy clayey loan,
with 81 If subsoil. | an convinced that
the most profitable way TO grow straw
berries, either Tor market or Tor private
Use, Is by this system. Any handy man
can place 1000 layers, in pots in a 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 has 10 be done after
planting, but TO keep the crop clear Of
weeds, and pinch of the runners for only
Elk 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 10 fruit
produced SO large q crop as the young
plants, and the berries were hardly half
the SIZE. This system Of starting plants
10 pots, and setting them out In August.
1t properly carried oat will never fail
to give entire satisfied On in growing
Strawberries.