Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-09-05
Strawberry Culture,

| ouhWUoTTJ Cullufes
During the months of July, August ant
September, when the weather is usual J
hot and dry, pot grown plants may be
planted to the best advantage. With The
ball of earth attached TO the roots, they
can be transplanted without any failures
and the trouble and ANNOYANCE of watering
and shading, which are Indispensable to
the success of layer plants at that season
are thus in great measure avoided. As
the weather grows cooler and the rains
more frequent layer plant can again be
used until the freezing up of the ground
although pot grown plants are preferable
at all seasons. Layer plants, if set in
warm, dry weather. rs August or Septem-
ber must be watered and shaded until
they have commenced to root.
Ellwanger & Barry of Rochester, N. Y
give the following directions for the gard
en- culture of Strawberries. For family
use it is recommended to plant in beds
four feet wide. with an alley, TWO feet
wide, between. These beds will accom-
modate three rows of plants, which may
stand fifteen inches apart each way and
The outside row nine inches from the
alley. These beds can be kept clean and
the fruit can be gathered from them with
Out setting the feet upon them.
Culture in hills is the best mode that
can be opted for the garden. To obtain
fine, large, high favored fruit, pinch off
| the runners as fast ms they appear, repeat
| ing the operation rs often AS may be
necessary during the summer. Every
runner thus removed produces new
crown ri the center OF the plant, and in
the fall the plants will have formed large
bushes or stools, on which the finest
Strawberries may be expected the follow
ing season. In the meantime the ground
among the plants should be kept clear OF
weeds aud frequently stirred with IA hoe
or fork
Where the winters arc severe, with
little snow Tor protection, a slight cover
ing OF leaves or litter, or the branches of
evergreen, will be of great service. This
covering should not be placed over the
plants ill after the ground is frozen,
usually from the middle of November till
the first of Decem Der, the time varying in
different localities. Fatal errors are often
made by putting on too much and too
Early. Care must also be taken to remove
the covering in spring just as soon as the
plants begin TO grow.
Before the fruit begins to rpen mulch
the ground among the plants with short
hay, or straw, or grass mowings from the
lawn, or anything of that sort. This will
not only keep the fruit clean, but will
prevent the ground from drying and
baking and thus lengthen the fruiling
season. Tan bark can also be used rs
q mulch.
The strawberry may be successfully
grown in any soil adapted to the growth
of ordinary field or garden crops. The
ground should be well prepared by trench
ing or blowing at least eighteen to twenty
inches deep, and be properly enriched as
for any garden crop OF course. if the
land is wet it must be thoroughly drained
In the northern states the season for
planting in the spring is during the
months of April and May. l. may then
be done with safety from the time the
plants begin to grow until they ARE in
blossom. This time is preferred by sue.
cessful culiva'ors for setting out large
plantations of layer plants. A bel OF
strawberries managed in accordance with
he directions contained in the above
will give two full crops, and
,honld then be spadcd or plowed down, a
new one having been, in the meantime,
prepared to take its place.
For field culture on large scale the
same directions with regard to soil, time
Of planting, protection and mulching n
gwen above are applicable. The matted
row systematic mode OF growing usual, |
its ad vantages for field |
but cannot be recommended for
he garden. In the field, experts usually
plant IN rows three to four feet a art, and
he plants foot to foot and halt apart
n the row. In this case much of the
abor is performed with the horse and
:uItivator The number of plants requlr-
ID for an acre, at any given distance
tpart, may be ascertained by dividing the
number of square feet in ian acre, 43 $50,
oy the number Of square feet given t.
'arh plant, which is obtained by multiply
ng the distance between rows by the
distance between The plants, Thus straw
berries planted three feet bv one foot give
ZACH plant three square feet, or 1452O
plants to the acre.-Ame, &c IN Cultirator.