The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-06-23
Ghe farmer,
RURAL TOPICS.

SEEDING STRAwBERRIEs.- Probably |
nine-tenths Of the people Of the United
States have an idea, that if we plant the |
seed Of any variety Of strawberry we shall
produce the same sort only; but that is not
the law that governs the production of
plants from the seed. Suppose that we
take any named variety. aud grow from its
seed million Of plants, not one will be
identical in all respects with the parent
plant. Every plant produced will be a
distinct varistyi We may find among
them, after fruiting them few that are
very large and fine; but nearly all will be of |
no especial value. 1t generally takes thou
sand plants FROM the seed to obtain va
riety worth cultiyating that is equal to or
superior to varieties already existing; aud |
yet one may by mere chance obtain va
riety superior to any known, by sowing |
the seed Of single berry. Nor does it
seem to make any difference in results by |
selecting choice large sorts to obtain seed
from, as we stand as good chance of OBJ
tanning fine large varieties from the seed
Of poor, small berries as from seed Of the |
best sort known to exist. In this case,
''like does not produce like" yetit is well
to select good varieties as parents, as they
do'not produce inferior sorts to those grown
from ordinary kinds. There are men who
claim to be able to produce valuable va
rieties, by fertilizing pistilate (female)
plant by a staminate (male) one, by grow
ing them away from all other sort, each
being selected for good quality. Then the
seed Of the pistilate plant is planted, and
the result, these men claim, is fine, new
varieties. This is all imaginary, as have
many times found; and fruit-growers may
talk Of "hybridized" strawberries as much
as they please, their new varieties are
nothing but choice seedlings. A man who
had spent seventeen years in ahybridizing"
varieties, at last obtained one very fine
variety, while l took a few seeds and
planted them in a raisin box, and succeed
ed, by mere good luck, in obtaining va
riety about as large as his sort and a good
deal more prolific. The growing of new
varieties is an interesting work to all per-
sons who have tendency that way; and
recommend trial of it, as variety that
win make a man his fortune may be pro-
duced from few seeds sown.
How TO Plant, ETc.-Take any va
riety Of ripe strawberries, and mash them
in dry sand earth, till they are thoroughly
mixed, using sand or earth enough to leave
the mixture in a good condition to be
sown. Then select place 10 the shade,
to be made rich with finely pulverized
manure, aud the soil to be made as fine as
meal, on the top of which sow the seed
evenly sand and all; and overit sift through
u course seiye enough earth to cover the
seed quarter Of an inch Deep If you
have no such seive sprinkle finely pulyer-
led earth on the bed by hand, then water
carefully from water pot; and in about
two weeks the plants will begin to appear,
first with two leaves no larger than the
head of the pin; and ten days latter a third,
dorrated leaf will appear, showing the plants
70 be strawberries Leave them to grow
ill October, merely keeping the bed free
from weeds; and as cold weather approaches
lay down few sticks about a half an inch
in diameter, then cover lightly with hay or
straw. The sticks are to support the COW
esing, and prevent the plants from being
smothered IL the spring they will be
found to balm growing condition; and
they sibuld then be transplanted where
they can have room enough to fruit, which
will be the third year from the seed.
CANADA THIsTLEs.-If all the labor
expended on exterminating thistles in the
United States we're paid for at the rate Of
dollar day, the sum would probably
pay off our national debt. But the ques
ton is, how can they be destroyed2
once had this pest in my garden, was
told that by cutting them of with a hoe
as fast as they appeared they would die
before fall, ''as no plant can live long By
such treatment" Well, they we're SO cut
off from spring till fall, and the next year
they appeared as before, and they are pro-
badly in thu same garden yet, which place
| sold 20 ylVrs ago. AT the same time
had field thSe was covered with thistIes
which was moved several years, and the
most Of the thistles disappeared. The
theory was among the farmers off the vi
entity that when thistles are cut of near
the ground at certain stage of their
growth, and rain occurs soon after being
cut, filling their hollow stalks with water
that it kills them; and this appears to be
true. Ordinary blowing Of the thistle
land once 10 two or three weeks win not
kill them; but case that came TO my no
tice was as follows: A man cut the this
ties in August close to the ground, and
put tablespoonful Of fine salt upon the
head Of every stalk. This did not kin
them, but 1t SO weakened their vitality that
three plowings the next season destroyed
them all. once killed patch Of these
thistles by sowing the land to buckwheat
50 thick that il completely smothered them
A man who wrote on this subject, some
years ago, said that he had cut thistIes
Nseyeral years, from the 18th To the 18th of
August, and they had always died.
Hay MAKISd.--It Is generally sup
posed that every farmer knows how TO
make hay; but many Of them manage their
hayiDg VERY badly consider the follow
ing points applicable;
l-Get ready for haying in advance.
See that your machines are ia good order,
and if possible guard against delays BY
breakage, the loss Of nuts, &c, by having
duplicate parts Of machine that are most
iikely 70 get out Of order; and also keep a
supply Of extra nuts on hand, 20 be used
IN the ease Of losingone while The machine
is at work.
Begin your haying early If you have
much 70 cut, rs you loose less By cutting
part Of your grass before It Is ripe for ibe
sneehino than you DO BY waiting till ali Of
your grass Is ready 10 cut; and then have
20 cut 4 part Of il week or two after il
ought 10 he cut.
j. When The time comes to commence
naoEins, which should be when there Is
propcet af fin weather. 20 akead, and do
act xait till llie dow Is al. on account ofl
ihinlg tlle hay may sasteios - you viii
uekNr H. ablo to sea any III lfarnr,.s,i., eal.sa