The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-05-22
WRONG ADVICE"


To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
Please allow me, the author OF the article in
the Germantown IeiegTaph-' Wrong Advice an
extract from which your agricultural editor Sc
yerely and unjusty crticises to place before your
readers the true meaning of said article. To begin
with, Thank the editor for his very charitable
presumption and will inform him that / have
grown strawberries many years, and claim some
little knowledge at least of their successful JrGe-
fe1t culture nave READ IN many articles that
unless you removed the runners, you would never
get any fruit. 1 have book before now in
which the following language is used: . If you
wish them to become strong and bear large excel
lent fruit and plenty of it. keep the runners cut
and repeat the operation once q week through the
summer 1 have repeatedly read such items in
the papers, and when any man journal tells me
that it is a necessity to do so-as some have-aHd
that the plants will not bear well without their
runners are constantly removed-wheh would be
necessary to keep them oil, as they are forming
constantly-then, that say is wrong advice, and
1t was just such statements my article referred to-
In hill culture Ii Is a common rule to remove
ners but In the usual system praetieed for extern
siye field culture, il would be a foolish waste OF
time and money to try any such faneiful system of
plans are praeticed, and one is, that all runners
should be promptly removed from plants intended
for fruitihg" That is also Just such an item my
article classes wrong advice only he doesn't, of
say that they viii not bear unless treated
but the expense incident to such Is too
much. / read one article which went 50 far as 70
saw 'If fruit is wanted keep all the runners cut
Off as the rule is, where they are allowed to run
no fruit will be formed" 1 say that kind Of talk
does in Illinois. CHAs. s. RowLEY.
LACoN, ILL.
Remarks.-This question of growing straw
berries for profit comes under the same general
principles which govern the profitable culture
OF all other crops. Strawberry growers, at least
those who have adopted the practice, are well
satisfied that there is more profit in the pro-
duction, when they abandon the attempt to
grow fruit and plants at the same time. But
our correspondent was perfectly correct IN con-
demning the advice which would indicate that
no fruit would be produced if the runners were
allowed TO grow, just as he is as far wrong IN
supposing that there is no better method than
allowing the runners to grow on plants which
are grown for their fruit alone. Those who de-
sire to grow for young plants, set apart por-
ton of their plantation for this purpose.
The quotation in his letter, which be men,
tons as taken from a book on Strawberries,
viz: If you wish them to become strong and
bear large, excellent fruit, and plenty of it,
keep the runners cut off, and repeat the opera
| ton once a week through the summer" is
sound and excellent advice.
Mr.. Ro8ley considers it to be q foolish waste
| of time and money to try any such faneiful
| system of growing strawberries; this would
indicate that he had not tried it, as we are not
| to suppose that he would foolishly waste time
| and money. Our opinion on this matter is the
result OF considerable experience IN growing
/ straw berries IN many different ways The sys-
TEN, ROW considerably adopted, Of growing run
/ ners in small pots set IN the ground for their
/ reception, and planting them out when well
| rooted in the pots, we have pursued occasion
| ally for nearly forty years. and if we were
| growing for market, we would, ike many 9TH
/ ers at the present time, probably pursue this
plan as occasion required. In industries of
| this kind the mere amount of labor employed
| Is not point Of much moment, the vital point
/ Is in seeing that the labor is profitable; and
the more labor which can be profsably en-
ployed, the more viii profits be increased.
! But practically to keep down runners does
/ not seriously add to the cost of culture. The
rows are set sufficiently apart to admit Of the
horse sultivatOr running between them, and
circular cutters are fixed on the eultivator
which cut the runners as the rows are eulti-
waited, SO that the additional labor is not great,
and is far more than CO.'S pensated by the greater
| quantities and excellence Of the fruit.