Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1879-05-10

ties will produce all the berries a family
of eight persons can possibly use for at
least month. The time and trouble
OF their cultivation is less than that of
raising a patch of potatoes of equal size.
lam sorry that so many farmers limit
their gardening TO few rods Of early
potatoes, half-a-dozen hills of cucum-
Of their shiftlessness say that they have
no time to cultivate more extensive
garden. Such men are, of course, work
ing to earn little money to provide
food. clothing and comforts for their
families. What could add more to the
comfort, health and happiness of any
family than well stocked fruit and
vegetable garden?
have raised strawberries several
years, and my little experience may be
Of service to some who are thinking OF
planting strawberries this spring.
About nine years ago purchased straw
berry plants, said to be Wilson's; plant
ed a bed one rod in width by three rods
in length, setting the plants one foot
apart, in rows two feet spart. spent
hours and even days in hoeing and cut
ting off runners and blossoms, and not
withstanding this they were nearly s
solid mass of vines in the fall. They
were then carefully covered with course
straw manure, which was mostly re-
moved in the spring. noticed that
the blossoms were small and not very
numerous, but waited impatiently for a
large crop of fruit, which never came.
On the whole piece picked few quarts
of very small, sour berries. left them
another year, thinking that the second
year they would be all right, but the
next year they were smaller and fewer
still. Afterwards got some genuine
Wilson's, and they proved satisfactory.
In the spring of 1877, set three-quar-
tiers of an acre of Wilson's, and sent to
Poughkeepsie for two thousand mixed
plants of Monarch of the West, Col
Cheney, Downing and Seth Boyden. 1
set the plants in rows three and half
feet apart, and about two feet apart in
the row.
Never put Strawberries on land in
tested with quack, but take land that
is sure of good crop of wheat, which
will be sure to produce good crop of
Strawberries. Set as early in spring
as possible, ard cultivate as soon as
any weeds appear; hoe three or four
times. As soon as the runners start,
turn them towards the row. 1t is q
waste of time to cut runners or blossoms.
Towards fall narrow up the cultivator
so as to leave about half the ground
covered with matted rows, but never let
them run entirely together Cover with
straw or coarse hay, as soon IS the
ground is frozen. l find swale grass
the best, as it contains no foul seeds.
In spring, as soon as all danger of freez-
ing is over, rake it partially of between
the rows, and they need no farther at
tention until they commence to ripen.
The yield from my two thousand mix
ed plants was little over fourteen
hundred quarts, and their extra size and
quality helped me to wholesale my VIII
sons along with them at ten cents per
quart, while other growers were selling
them at wholesale at five cents per
quart. So found it more profitable
to purchase plants of reliable parties
For beginners, l think Monarch of the
West and Wilson are as good as any
varieties am acquainted with. Any
one having land should plant strawber-
mes OF some kind, even if only few.
have no plants to sell, and never have
sold any, but have given them away to
any one that would come and dig them.
Cor. Country Gentleman.