Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-09-15
strRWberries---settIB Plants In Sep,
TENDER,


In its season, one of the most delicious of
all fruits is the strawberry. Out of season,
when well preserved, it retains much of the
delightful flavor of its original freshness.
Was any one ever known to dislike strawber-
ries If so, such an one must have taste
strangely unapprecative. The time will be
remembered by many readers, when in most
of our Vermont towns, plenty of wild straw
berries were to be had for the picking; but,
with rare exceptions, the wild berries are not
now found of a size and in quantities large
enough to be of much account. When we
speak of Strawberries now, only the cultivat-
ed kinds are thought Of We have cultivated
varieties of better flavor, as well as better
size, than the wild berries. Thesuperior fla
vor of wild strawberries that is sometimes
talked and written about is rather a remem-
brance of childhood than an actual fact; but,
as we now have to depend upon the cultvat-
ed kinds, the question is not important. Well
ripened Wilson's or Crescent Seedlings are 80
good that we need hardly think of better va
rieties. These are the two kinds most Guilt
waited. The Crescent Seeding is said to be
VIZ AHpoe BAOAuNNtNo VI uu1 variety anu lub
easiest Of cultivation. We raised this sort
the past season on a small plat in the garden
at the rate of 1000 quarts to the acre, or 80
quarts on two square rods, The plat was not
kept free from grass and weeds in the spring,
and became nearly sodded over before they
were done bearing. If the cultivation had
been clean, the yield might have been twice
&c lar0a Tbof Io
two square rods, without more care, shows
that it is very easy for every farmer to have
an abundance of strawberries for family use.
Writers on strawberry culture generally say
that, to have full crop the following season,
the plants must be set out in the spring but
F. 1. Sage & Son of Weathersfeld Ct, the
most successful strawberry growers in that
state, recommend setting the plants in Sep.
TENDER. In a communication to the N. L.
Homestead they say.
We set our strawberry plants in Septem-
Der, or, if we happen to have a good wet
time, the last of August. We prefer Sep
TENDER, as then the nights are generally
cooler, and we find the plants are not put
back so much as during the hot and dry
weather of August. We always plant them
on ground from which we have already
taken some early hoed crop, and that was
or ought to have been MANFRED for the early
| crop. Before planting the Strawberries the
land is well plowed and thoroughly harrow.
ed, making it perfectly smooth and fine.
We then got stakes, having our lines 900
feet long, or the length we intend to have
our patch, and drive our stakes and stretch
the line perfectly straight. Under it we
| plant good thrifty plants about one foot
| 30 ,,la, I'd
our stakes and line exactly three feet, and
| plant another row the same as the first.
Thus we have our rows three feet apart and
| the plants one foot apart in the rows.
In about one week after planting the
plants having got hold and commenced grow.
ing, we start the cultivator and cultivate
them as often as every ten days. The rows
being perfectly straight we are enabled to &c
very close to the plants and almost wholly to
dispense with the use of hand hoes. The
runners as fast as they start, are pinched oil
pulled off, saving this much strength for the
old plant, which will form large stool, al
ways bearing in mind that one good large
plant is worth many small ones and will not
only bear more but better fruit. We keeI
up our cultivating and pulling off of runners
until the ground begins to freeze. Then We
give the plants and whole ground a heavy
mulching of stalks straw, or some coarse
litter, which is not SO much to prevent their
freezing as to prevent the constant freezing
and thawing if we happen to have an open
winter which is very hurtful to the fruit
buds If you use enough mulching to pre-
vent the weeds starting in the spring, very
well otherwise it should then be removed
and the ground lightly cultivated and KEEP
free from weeds until the fruit is well set
The mulching can then be put back again
and will keep the ground moist and the fruit
clean, two very important essentials 1t will
be seen to be very simple matter to grow
strawberries by this method
Here you have in a nutshell the method by
which we have been enabled to grow, picl
and market more bushels of strawberries thar
any other individual or firm in this state (st
far as we know this season, and we hay,
had among our competitors those who claim
to have 30 to 80 acres of berries, while W,
have, all told, less than five acres of land anC
that is not all in strawberries. Our bes
three-fourths of an acre yielded us this year
from plants set in September, over $1OOt
worth of fruit.
Now, as it is such a simple matter to grow
strawberries, is it not wonder that ever
farmer, and every one else who has a garden
does not get one or two hundred plants o
some choice variety and grow at least sew
eral bushels of berries for their own use
Several bushels may seem a large amour
for single familys consumption, yet few
know how many berries family will use /
they have them in plenty of their own rails
ing and fresh from the vines.
As there is mo great loss without som