The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-05-02
OUR FARM BUDGET
The Strawberry Crop-Petato Bug
Destreyers.
Pruning for Small Fruits-Skim
med Milk for Hens and
Chickens.
Grating stone Fruit-Fruit wor@s-Eariy
Potatoes-Exhaustion OF the SOIL
Farm Notes, Etc
The strawberry Urop.
IPhflndelphfa Record

Ting out the plants In the spraog the Work
must be done early, for nothing is more
ben,fciSI 60 them than the spring rain
Until we'll rooted the plants can not stand
the slightest dygree of dryuess in the soil,
AID heuee,if they are trsnspaanted intine to
get the rains of this season, larger proper
ton of them will thrive. One of the most
es-entinl points to be observed in strawberry
culture is to push the plants forward the
first rear. Every blossom that appears and
every runner that takes root robs the plant
of 50 vauca vitality, and the effect is always
seer the following season; therefore the
blossoms should be plucked of aud not al
lowed to fruit, while the runners should be
nromu;lg checked whenever they begin to
pCsh fol wa d. To successfully gov straw
berries req ire over the average proportion of
labor. but the vines always yield ab1udsntly
to good cultivation. The ground should be
plowed deep and well worked into hne
condition preparstory to the reception OF
the Young plants After setting tie plants
lin position, the distance apart being that
which best suits fer cultivation with hoe
and cultivator, they should be kept clean
and free from grass and weeds, for the plants
will not grow as they should unless protect
ed in that respect.
The Draper method OF manuring is 10 use
oglv such material as il fine and thoroughly
decOmposed The most economical way OF
applying it il to raise the vine with the hand
and scatter the manure around the stem and
over the zoos but to thoroughly broadcast
the whole field is better. The best fertilizer
Of an artificial character is superpbospnate,
ard the addition OF wood ashes IS an Inn,
movement. Should there be scarcity of
wood ashes a substitute may be used in the
shane OF kainit or German potash salts (sul-
phate of potash) which is procurahle from
| fertiIiz.r manufacturers. Lime is con idered
sby some growers to be injurious but plaster
is q valuable as istant.
A beginner will easily make mistakes in
selecting varieties. Some are bi-,exual and
fertilize themselves. while other varieties
must be PLANTED in company with those
that are required to fertiliZs them rs the
crescent, for Instance. The old standard,
Wilson. though discarded every season., is
ALWAYS Yelled upon when new varieties fail.
and in sddit.on TO the hardness of the vines
and the suh-scidity, good keeping qualities
and color OF The fruit. is the best for ship
ping. Although the Wilson prod uces berries
NJ medium sizs, il can be made to yield
them of larg. proportions il the excess OF
berris Is taken of. which, though causing q
reduction in their number, does not detract
from their bulk in measurement, the price
also being higher in market and the quality
improved.
Among the later varieties are the Sharp
less, Bid yell, Manchester and Mount YER
non. the Mguc sester being considered the
Z best for light soil. The Kentucky is a late
strawberry, OF good quality and productive.
In the Crescent Green Prolific and Hovey's
Seeding the steInens are abortive, and the
Wilson is usually planted between them,
owing to the flowers being Distiliate, one
row Of plants With welldevelepsd stamens
being sufficient for seven rows of the pistil-
lates The principal obstacle isthe molina
ton OF the stsminste varieties TO crowd out
the others, bat this can be avoided by care
full cultivation.
Strawberries can be transplsnted in the
fall If preferred, and as the cold season comes
on should receive careful mulchIng. In
fact. all strawberries should be mulched for
protection in winter. but more especially
yourE plants. Should new plants be de-
sired at any time, few rows should be al
lowed to produce runners for that purpose,
but every other portion OF the field should
be guarded against such effort on the part of
the plants, as the propagation by runners is
in direct opposition to the propagation by
seed. thus lesssning the tendency Tor fruit
production.
Spare the Destroyers OF the Potato Bug.
IAmerican Asriculturistl
A number of insects aid the farmer and
gardener in keeping the greatest OF potato
pests, the Color ado beetle, in check. The
Lady-bugs or Lady birds" in their larval
state are among the most effective enemies
of the potato bug" doing valuable service
in destroying both eggs and larvo,- The ma
ture lady-bugs are red, pink or bright color,
with small black dots, and should be known
ard protected bv all farmers.
Some of the tiger beetles do good work
against the potato beetle. The Lydella
doryphore is an internal parasite, closely
resembling common fly, and is one of the
most efficient destroyers of the Colorado
beetle The female fly attaches single egg
TO the body of the potato larva- The small
foOtles masgat soon matches, burrows into
the body OF its victim, and finally destroys
il. This tiy may be seen buzzing about in
the summer, and at times il Is 60 abundant
in potato fields, as to remind one Of SWARM
of bees.
A species of mite (Uropode Americana
att cks the beetle and sometimes so covers
it, host that no part of the beetle is visible
This exierna, parasite is about the size of
small pin head. and is yellowish brown.
Several birds feed upon the potato beetle.
among which Is the too much prosecuted
crow. This sable bird will even dig into the
earth for the hiberDating individuals. The
services OF the common quail are moderated
in this respect. The rose breasted grosbeak
hiss q foaduess for the potato beetle, and
does much good by feeding upon 1t. Ducks
and chickens have learned to eat the lerva.
and some fowls have overcome the native
dislike for the mature insect. Thirty or forty
perfect beetles have been found in chick
ems crop.
Among quadrupeds the skunk sometimes
eats the potato beetle, while the common
toad and black snake feed freely upon this
pest of the farm.
The various poisons employed, among
which Paris Green and London Purple take
the Lead, are effective and easily applied; but
every precaution should be taken to favor
the natural enemies and thus help to 30 sd-
just the system OF nature that 1t will favor
the healthful growth of all farm and garden
crops. Spare the insect and other enemies
of the potato beetle, and there will be less
need Of applying dangerous arsenieal COM
pounds
Close Pruning for Small. Fruits.
The importance of thinning canes and
shortening in the wood of small fruits, is not
generally understood by the average farmer.
He thinks he has done his duty when he has
planted his eurrant bushes and raspberries
under the wall or fence and left them to the
rivslry OF weeds and their own suckers.
His grape vine climbs an apple tree, or the
trellis an the side of the barn, without
much pruning, and he blsmes the
nur eryman for imposing upon him with
wori HESS varieties Of fruit. Let him apply
the knife to the grape vine, cutting back all
~ 10. k<w, ffar he hoc