New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-07-31

Contentment is his throne,
And self control his sceptre,
His master. God alone.
Tan MulchIng for straw berries.
Strawberries are, to many, the fruit
crop of the season. and to all they are
crop much appreciated. Few things mar
the pleasure of eating and gathering them
more than slugs, snails and worms
These nestle beneath the leaves or under
the mulchings, and just when the fruit
begins to ripen and 10 give forth its
luscious odor, out crawl these pests and
tasten upon. disfgure, or devour them.
1t is thus impossible to gather and eat
the fruit off the plant-by far the best
mode Of enjoying it-with pleasure. In
any case the Disagreement and destruc-
ton of many of the finest fruits become
a serious matter, and it may be almost
wholly prevented by the following simple
expedient:
Give the plants at once several over
head dressings of equal parts of SCOT and
lime, covering the entire ground between
the rows and the plants, and sprinkGng
freely on and around the crowns. The
best time for these dustings and sprink-
lings is early in the morning or late in
the evening. At either season the slugs
and snails will be on the move, and
caught with the hot, bitter dressing in
the most defenceless condition. The
first dressing warns off, the second disa-
bles, and the third kills them This is
fair mode of attack; it gives the pests
chance of life. If they have not sufficient
sense to take first warning, they must
take the consequences.
Twelve or twenty-four hours grace
may be given between the dressings and
the strength Of the latter should be cum
ulative-a slight warning dust at first,
then heavier dose, succeeded by a final
killing application. For the last dress
ing, double or treble the proportion of
SCOT to lime should be given. SCOT is
one of the best possible manures for
strawberries, giving that size, substance,
and color to the leaves, which is the
surest sign of vigor. In about a week af-
ter the last dressing, unless rain has fall
len in the interval, the plants should re-
ceive heavy overhead drenching. This
clears the crowns and leaves and renders
the soil uncomfortable for worms, wood
lice, earwigs, or other strawberry-loving
creeping insects that may be present. No
living thing likes SCOT or lime, and the
mixture is still more nauseous and dis
agreeable to them. III few more days,
and when the surface gets a little dry, a
cleansing dressing Of rather thick fresh
tanners bark may be put on about l 1-2
inches thick. This is also very distaste-
full to insects, no snail, slug, or worm re-
naming in or near it, if they can help it.
After few washings, it gets so clear
of tannin as not to faint the fruit that lies
on it to ripen. The strawberry plants
also seem to thrive under the tan exceed
ingly. as it keeps the moisture and
strength in the soil, though it probably
adds but little to the latter. 1t has an
other great merit. If it be needful, as it
often is during dry weather, to water the
plants during their swelling stage, the
tan Immediately presents a dry surface
again for the fruit. This quality of
rapid drying and of a rough, hard sur
face, IS equally useful during rainy
time through the ripening period. In
word, tanners bark is one OF the cleanest
and safest mulchings for strawberries.
Softer materials, such as short grass litter,
waste hay, halt rotten straw, &C., yield to
the wet and allow the fruit to sink into
them, to its sudden and complete de-
struction, while tan is almost equal to
/ tiles or pebbles in providing d hard,
clean bed for the fruit: 1t is, in short,
one of the cleanest and best dressings for
strawberries, having powerful anti-insect,
and also anti-rotting qualities.