The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-06-28

one, and from first 70 last berries have been
plenty and cheap, rich and poor have had
their fill of them. And what delicious
luxury Too many good things cannot be
said of the strawberry. 1t is the queen Of
fruit, delicious to eat and wholesome Fon
tenelle attributes to them his longevity
Linneus says he kept himself from the
govt by eating plentifully of them. One
enthusiast insists that they will cure even
consumption: and they are said to be good
even for the teeth. Fancy strawberries and
cream as a prescription! Half the world
would be hunting doctor on the appear
ance of the first berry of the season; Oh,
rather, would follow the example of the
Italian poet
For my part, confess fairly swell
And stuff myself with strawberries; and abuse
The doctors all the while, draught powder
and pill;
And wonder how any sane head can choose
To have their nauseous jalaps and their bill;
All which, like so much poison, / refuse.
Give me glut Of Strawberries; and, 10!
Sweet through my blood and very bones, they
go.
1.-The best strawberry" says some one,
us the strawberry of memory"-one picked
in the June of life, when the Strawberries
seemed like red heavens"-the impossible
berry. The next best is the strawberry from
ones own garden, picked when the dew of
the morning has just vanished, large, rich
and perfect in form and tiavor-the possible
berry. The last is the market berry. O..
? the actual berry.
But any strawberry may be hard to get
at times. The story is told of landlady of
an Ohio town who was rather slow to set
the dainty dish before her boarders; but
who one night took their breath away by
placing glass dish of the long hoped for
luxury on the table. Though the dish was
rather small the boarders saved a large
place for them, and were soon ready for
the dessert. With teaspoon the landlady
commenced to put few--a very few-of
the berries in small dishes for the expect
ant persons around the table, probably not
more than twelve strawberries being each
ones allowance, which were soon eaten.
Silence reigned supreme, when all at once
a great big bashful boy who had had very
little to say in the family conversation be-
fore, suddenly looked up and said, MAN,
will We please give me just one more berry
if it amt askin' too much?" There was
an explosion at the table; but the boy was
voted medal.
Then there was the man who sat down
to Texas hotel table and ordered straw
berries in April. They came, and also
bill, at 81 per berry! There were. .the us
ual Texan explosives and protest that he
had lived all his life in Texas and never
had heard of such thing! "Oh, you live
in Texas?" said the apolOgizing waiter.
"Well, that's another thing. They're only
ten cents a quart now, so guess you need
MT have bill of them!"
The agricultural papers are now, or
were, fortnight ago, full of directions for
growing strawberries. We presume the
man of Ohio (Ohio always looms up quad
who says he had them measur-
ing seven inches in circumference, take
'em as they run in bushel measure, has
way of growing them, Aren't strawber-
ries like oysters--the small ones the best
in favor?l 1t is safe to say, though, that
if one were to follow all the successful
ways" of growing them he wouldn't have
many berries!
When one has 80 #. lot, however, al
most any suggestion will be taken kindly,
so here's one for small plantation. All
the ground needed is a barrel full of good
soil. Bore the sides of the barrel full OF
holes and plant the roots through the holes!
It's a sure thing! And so economical
of ground! And so sure of crop. When
frost threatens you can take your whole
crop into the house Or at tea time an
economical" housewife can set the vines
down at her elbow and pick as she serves
keep company with the poets and sages
by having flowers at the table! There
are many advantages, you see, for the
strawberry grower can sleep o nights, sure
that neither frosts nor small boys can rob
him of the fruits of his labor.
The scheme is excellent. Every house
holder thus has his own strawberry patch,
and can carry ii along with him when he
moves Like the poor, il is always with
him. II must be this is the traditional vine
and H. tree,-he can place it on his kitch-
en- or parlor table and sit down in the shad-
ow of its branches The strawberry barrel
becomes a household god-the modern