The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-02-15
THE CULTIVA TON or STRAW.
BERRIES.


Mr.. Samuel Miller, of Bluffton, Mo-,
recently read an address on this subject
before the Horticultural Society OF that
State, from which we make the follow
ing extract. .'"
In the first place, let the ground be
cultivated deep and be made very rich,
Get good Strong plants and set them out
as early in the spring as the ground will
admit. For regular field culture we
would recommend planting one loot
apart in the row, and the rows three feet
apart. Cultivate thoroughly the first
season, keeping off all the runners, and
in the fall as soon as the ground freezes,
cover the whole with straw, weeds or
any other kind of litter, Let the cover
ing be thickest between the rows and
but thinly spread on the plants. The
following spring, part the covering at
the crown of the plants and wait until
the fruit is ripe; and if these instructions
be properly carried out the grower will
be astonished at the result, if he has
never seen it tried before. Do no cult
waiting whatever until the fruit is gath
cred then the ground between each al
ternate row can be dug under, spading
in the mulch, and runners allowed to
take up this space, while the next be
kept clear of weeds and no runners al
lowed to take root Thus the third year
you have matted beds of three feet width,
with alleys the same. When winter
comes give these beds slight covering,
and the following season the crop will
not be composed Of as uniform large ber-
ries, but the product will be about as
great as can possibly be gathered from
the ground. This may be allowed to
bear the following year and then plowed
down as soon as the fruit is gathered,
well manured, and late crop of sweet
corn raised, to be in turn planted the
next spring. But there must be rota-
ton, and one-third of the ground that is
to be occupied with strawberries must be
planted each year. This we deem about
the most practical plan and it has been
successfully carried out by several we
know of besides ourself. Bear in mind
that deep, rich soil, we'll cultivated the
first season and we'll mulched in the be-
ginning of winter, are the main points
Of success. One important thing is, to
get some plants with some life in them,
and not little spindling things that have
been grown as thick on the ground as
they could stand, and are perhaps offer
ed at two dollars per thousand.
AS to varities. Every one contem-
plating their cultivation should ascertain
from some one who has experience, how
certain varieties do in certain soils; for
they differ so much in certain localities
that it is almost impossible to give prop
er advice. Our experience will be given
by which those having similar soil can
judge. Downers Prolific has never
failed to give us satisfactory results for
ten years, and is still about the most val
liable quite early one. Duchess is claim
ed to be still earlier, larger, productive
and of excellent quality, Wilson's AL
bany is still, perhaps, more extensively
planted than all others, because it will
stand more neglect and still bear fruit;
but no one will vary more than this, for
when well grown and fully ripe it is a
good berry, and iftoo much neglected it
will be small, hard and worthless.