Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-04-16
The Strawberry.

The strawberry! How it makes ones
mouth water, even in January. to think
of the treats of June and July. How
grateful to the palate of hot, thirsty
and weary humanity! What boon 1t
is whether served an ndtnrel, or with
cream and sugar! Everywhere well
come, everywhere favorite. Like all
small fruits, it enjoys best loose. rich,
deep, sweet soil, with plenty of humus
in it's composition, but rendered sweet
and safe by good drainage. Its pro-
pagation Is by runners, and if rooted
in pots all the better and safer. Some
people recommend planting in May and
June, and others in September and
October; each practice has lis adherents.
ana while they are settling which -
best we will prepare our ground by
deep trenching and liberal dressing
from the compost heal. and thens wes
viii tell them that the best time for
planting the strawberry is as soon as
you can get the frost out of the ground
in spring. If planted in September
and Octocer more than one-half of the
plants are thrown out and DESTROYED by
frost, and If planted in May and June.
the hot. dry weather coming on before
they have got a permanent hold OF the
soil shriyeis more than half OF them
up; but when planted before the sun
has much power, and while there is
plenty of moisture in the ground, aud
generally liberal allowance of showers
they commence with the season and
never go back. The strawberry should
be painted two feet apart between the
rows, and about eight inches between
the plants; these, the year after pant
ing, will give an abundant yield, and
in spring should be top dressed with a
mixture from the compost heap and
rather more than half decayed barn
yard manure. The compost and the
decaycd parts OF the manure will feed
the plants and the littery parts OF the
manure driving will moi only act as a
mulch by Keeping the sun from drying
the ground but will also keep the fruit
and flowers clean during heavy rains.
When the fruiting season is over, this
long stuff can be rakel eff and carted
with other garden refuse 10 the heap,
and the rest of the stuff 1orkeI in. The
D ants should be encouraged to make
good strong crowns for next years
iruIting. Ii the weather is very dry
during June when the Strawberries are
coming into tlower, & We copious water
lngs; tar better leave 1t alone than half
do it, and if The ground gets two or
three good Holdings, the top dressing
II keep it moist most through the
fruiting season. Every third year, in
Stead OF digging the plat up and plant
IN anoi her, train The runners INTO tue
the middle between the rows ana peg
tnem down. With the liberal top dress
ing we have given the soil, here viii be
just the thing for new bed, and as
soon rs the Young plants can do with
out their fostering mother the old ones
can be cut off and cagtcd to The heap
aforcsaIu, some OF the decayed parts Of
the heap brought back in their places
and dug in. and by the fall we will have
a splendid crop the coming season.
And this may be repeated every@skird
year, renewing the ground and plants
in the same manner. Ihis is way OF
my own. made public in this paper for
the first time, and calm tha, IL is far
the best method praetieed for renewing
the strawberry bed. In new varieties,
James Fick, Warren and Jersey Queen
are about the best, and in the old
standards Crescent, Duchess. B:dwcll,
Wilson's Albany, Charles Downing,
Sharpless, Gienlai and Jucunia will
be found good troopers. hardy, fruit
medium to very large, and early, me-
dunn and late varieties. Iwould have
added Loncfeilow, but it is very shy in
MANY districts TicS's It'd Monthly