Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-06-14
trOWIng Strawberries from Seed.

arOwing Strawberries from Seed.
J. B. Miller, n the Farmer and Fruit
Grower, very pleasantly discusses the
SUBJECT Il producing ew fruits from
seed, which we hope will be read with
Interest, and that some at least will b
stimulated to try their hand at one OF
the most interesting phases of garden
lie. MIR. Miller is the originator of the
famous Sucker State strawberry. and
speaks from experience:
First, select your berries when thor.
oughly ripe. Take sharp knife and
peel OF the berry just under the seeds
and spread the piece flesh side down
on brown paper, and put the raper
away IN some shady place where there
Is free circulation of air, so the seed
will not mold. The name of the vari-
ely should be written on the aper.
The piece will soon get dry enough that
the seeds will easily rub eff. The seeds
can then be packed away for further
use as they are, or, if preferred, rub.
bed OH and put away in mall packages
of paper.
Purdy says to plant as soon as Won
can after you secure the seeds. but T
lind 1t the better plan to keep the seed
TILL fall, and SOW them in we'll prepared
beds on the north side of fence. The
seed bed must be mellow and rich. By
THIS plan get nearly all the see to
come. When grown in the middle of
summer could succeed In getting but
a few to grow. I think the seeds ger
inmate better after being we'll dried in
| the shade.
There are various ways of getting the
seed out Of the fruit, bat find this the
cheapest and best after all. Sow in little
drills: about one-half inch apart In the
rows, and the rows wide enough apart
to work between with small hoe. This
IS all that Is necessary the first season.
Early the next season you may expect
10 see the young plants showing them
selves above the ground about the time
other small seeds are coming through
provided you did not cover them too
deeply.
1t takes an expert to tell them from
any other small plant till they start
their second leaves, then they begin to
show what they are. They should now
be worked clean, and the ground work.
ed up fine between the rows, and keep
SO all summer, for the young plants are
easily smothered by neglecting them
tor short time. let mine remain In
the seed bed till fall, these are then set
out for truiting the same as other plants:
great many will fruit the next season,
and others not till the following wear.
This thing now begins to be interest,"
ing, because they now begin to show
what they were predestined for. You
will see that there are no two of them
exactly alike; some are strong robust
fellows, with thick leaves, while others
are spindling, and have thin, narrow
leaves; some will throw out a profusion
OF runners, while others will throw out
bat few. have learned to regard the
thin leaf and too many runners as q
bad sign; that is, they are generally
worthless.
answer, because adj new kinds have
come from the seed; not only of straw
berries, but all new grapes have come
from the seed: and not only these, but
all new and high priced fruit has come
from the seed. Peaches, pears, apples,
| and all the new currants and gooseber-
ries have come from the seed. Friend
"Bolus UNLESS" this may look to him
as small business. Of course seedlings
are small things at the start So is gold
found in very small particles. So are
diamonds small things when compared
with 81 granite boWlder. So are a great
many other things considered small,
when in fact they are anything else but
small.
Now, let no one be deferred from
raising seedlings from all kinds of fruit,
not only from strawberries, but from
all fruits. 1t may be you will hit on
good thing at the very start. l claim it
Is worth the effort, and if we never try
we will never succeed, as a matter of
course; and if you fail tie first time,
try again; for who will say we do not
need better Strawberries, as we'll as bet
ter grapes mean grapes that will not
all rOt); peaches that are as large as
the Crawfords and Old Mixons, that will
stand 200 below zero; apples that are
as fine IS the Baldwin and Northern
Spy; that will hang on the trees till the
last of October, and keep till the first
of May following.
And how shall we get these in any
other way than to raise them from the
seed? Take the last ripening of these
and plant the seed, and we may get
them by this means; if not, try again.
There may be something small or little
in this, bat can't see it.
Nov, let boys and girls who are fond
of flowers and plants, experiment
with seedlings OF all kinds of
fruits, and especially grapes and straw
berries. They may hit on something
better than gold mine. If nothing
more, it will afford them a good deal
of amusement.
Adam and Eve Out In Kansas.