The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1879-07-31
FIR the farner.
srRAwBxRRy CULTURE.

The following directions for the cultivation of
strawberries, from the well known cnitiyator,
Peter Henderson, of New lurk, timely at
this season. and will b. of value to snch readers
~ are iuterc sfcd i'm their culture. Mr. Hendcr-
says that full croI, 1t strawberries can be
obtained in ten months from time Of plan ting, If
the following simple directions are followed:
Straw berries will sraw almost any soil,
but it is ali-imporinnr that IL be well drained,
either naturally artificaly-iH fact this is
trne for the well being of nearly all plants, as
few plants do well on soil where the water does
not freely pass off. Thorough culture requires
that the soil should be first dug or pl'ws.l. then
spread over with at least three inches of thor
oughly rotted stable manure, which sh,nld he
dug ur plowed under, far rs practicable, to
mix it with til. soil. II stable manure cannot
he had, artificial MANN re, such rs ground boae-
dust, etc, should be sowu ou the dug or f,lowed
ground, thick enough to nearly cover it, then
narrowed or chopped in with a fork, so that 1t
is well mixed with the soil to at least six inches
deep. This then is tbs preliminary work bef're
planting, tn insure cr.,p the next season AFTER
planting-in nine or ten months. The plants
must be such grown in pots. and the
sooner they are planted out after July Is the
better, although if not then convenient they
will produce crop the next season even IT
planted as late as middle Of September. They
may be set from pot layers either in beds of fnnr
rows each, fifteen inches apart and fifteen inch
es between the plants, leaving two feet between
the beds for pathway; or be set in rows two
feet apart, the plaats in rows fifteen inches
apart, and II the plants are properly set out
(care being taken Ia firm the soil aronnd the
plant) not one plant in a thousand of strawb-r-
ny plants that have been grown in pots will
fail to grow.
For the first three or f.,nr weeks after plant
ing nothing need be done except to hoe the bels,
81 that all weeds are Kept down. Ii careful tn
do this once in every ten days. f,r ii tho We Is
once get II start il will he treble the labor of
keeping clear. In about month after plant
ing they will begin Ia throw out runners, all IF
(Which must lie pinc-d cut off as they appear.
November-eacli plant will have formed a com
plcte bnsi, one foot ar more in diameter, having
the necessary maturcd .'crown," for the ext
June's fruit.
BY the middle of December up the
entire beds of strawberry plants with salt mead
ow hay (straw, leaves, or anything similar will
do as well, } to the depth of two three inches,
entirely covering up the plants aud soil, so that
nothing is seen bat the hay. by April the
plants so protected will show Indications of
growth then the hay around each plant is push
ed little aside to assist in getting through
the covering, that by May the full developed
plant shows on the clean surface of the hay.
This "mulching," as il is called, is indispensable
to the best culture it protects the plants from
cold in winter, keeps the fruit clean, keeps til,
and at the same time save, nearly all further
labor after being once put on, as few weeds can
pnsh through il. by this method We prefer to
plant new beds every year, though, if desired:
the beds planted may be fruitc,l for two
three years, as by the old plans, but the fruit
tue first season will always be the largest in
size, if not greater in numbers.