The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-08-18
FARM AND GARDEN.
POT-GROWN Strawberries.
When and How to Prepare tho Plants.


When and How to Prepare the Plants.
The strawberry, writes correspondent ia
The C0uatry Gent,eman, has been called the
Queen of Fruits" ushering in as 1t does the
first fruits of the year. No pen Is needed to
laud its merits or to sustain its claim to this
distinction; it speaks for itself, and Il dish of
ripe, luscious berries appeals to ones inner
consciousness as nothing else can. Growing
wild naturally in the field, and doing well
when given only ordinary culture, and left to-
struggle with weeds, etc, they are more often
left so than otherwise they more than repay
extra culture in fact the large, finer sorts will
not do well when left to grow rs they will, and
to sacceed all must have culture. Berries can
be grown weighing from one to two ounces
each in weight, often quart to the plant, AS
easily as small sour Wilson's can be grown,
and much more satisfactorily. A small bed of
three hundred plants set out last fall for home
use yielded enormously this spring. BY plant
ing early, say from Aug, to Sept, 20, a full
crop can be obtained in nine or ten months,
but to accomplish this result, the young plants
which are to be set out must be potted rs or
binary ground layers" as they are termed byI
florists, would not live planted at this time of
year. The weather is too hot and dry, and
there would hardly be chance of so per cent.
growing, while byusing potted plants not oneI
should be lost.
To prepare the plants, take small pots two
inch are BEST and sink them into the earth be
meath young runner or plant which has
started from the old plants, fill the pot with
soil, bring the runner Just over it, placing a.
small stone upon it to keep it in place, and in
two or three weeks the young plant will be
found to be sufficiently rooted to be removed
from the pot, without being disturbed in the
least. This is a very simple operation, and
can be easily done by any one but where on
~ "A few are wanted, and there are no pots con
venient, they can be obtained from those who
make speciality of raising just such plants.
They are sold for So per hundred-ony dou-
bic the cost of ground layers-and many would
find this the best way The bed should be
prepared by spading down two or three inches
of thoroughly rotted COW manure, when it can
be had, but when not, any other will do, pro
vided it is well rotted, digging it well into the
bed as deep as possible and thoroughly in
cooperating it with the soil. The plants should
then be set in rows two feet apart, the plants
eighteen inches apart in the rows; or if the
ground is limited, a foot apart will do. The
ground should now bc keptthoroughly stirred
up by frequent hocings, and all runners re-
moved as fast as they make their appearance,
rs they weaken the plants, thus lesscning the
crops Of fruit Farther than this nothing is
necessary until severe cold weather sets in and
the ground frce2 up The plants should
then be covered with about two inches Of salt
hay, leaves or grass but salt hay is best where
it can be had. This protects the plants from
the frost attcrward keeps the berrie, from
earth, prevent, weeds from growing, and also
the soil fro. ylng out, and is one of the most
important factors in successful berry culture.
By March the plants will need looking after
and as soon Is there are signs of thawing, the
mulch should be pushed aside slightly from
the crown Of each plant, to give it light and
air, and enable it to push through. Ofcourse
it will be understood that the mulch is still
left on until after the fruit is picked. 1t. is
then removed manure spread between the
rows aAd torked in, and all the runners still
kept from growing. For most families two
hundred plants would be sufficient, and plant
ed from pot-grown runners in August or Sep
tember would probably Weld one hundred
quarts per annum. A bed will last two years,
and bear abundantly, but we find it should be
renewed rs often as this, rs young plants bear
! finer and larger fruit.
There is an endless number Of varieties, be
widering to the uninitated. | would not adj
wise any one to plant one sort only, as by plant
| ing three or four yarictieS-early, medium and
late-the season can be heightened about two
weeks, a great desideratum. The following
consider the best as regards size, productive
ness and quality: For early, Charles Downing,
Il goodsized berry and most abundant bear
er, but Seth Boyden (or Boyden's No, 30), an
immense berry and very productive, carries oft
the prize for size and is very popular Mon
arch Of the West is also another very large
berry-larger if anything than the preceding,
Some complain that it does not ripen to the
4 tip, but if left on the plant sufficiently long it
will ripen perfectly. Kcrr's Late Prolific is
i the best late sort and is well entitled to the
} name Prolific. In size it is medium, yet is de
I sirablc on account of it, ltcncsS Tromphe
] de Gand and LUCINDA are both wel-known,
doing splchdidy on heavy soil, but almost
worthless on light soil. These are standard
soIt,, and will be found to be more than salts
factor. The Great American, introduced last
year probably the best strawberry ever sent
out j.. being new, is consequently high-pric-
led. i~i,a beautiful berry exceedingly large,
wcig ~ frequently two ounces each. 1t took
\ III" premium at the Centennial for the best
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