The Osceola times., 1885-06-13
STRAW BERRIES.
How This Delicious Fruit should he Gull
tivnted.

7
tivated.
A small plot will give a large yield
II berries if the vines are properly
treated the first year, hence no crop
should be expected during the year the
Soung plants are set out. The ground
'hould be plowed deeply and narrowed
several times until the soil is as fine as
can be made. THIS is very essential.
as the preparation Of the soil is the
most important matter, the growth and
future productiveness of the vines de-
pending on an early start. The young
plants should be set out just as soon as
the frost is out of the ground. so as to
give them as much t me as possible for
growth before the dry season comes on,
and as Strawberries are very partial
to moisture, they also get the ben lit
OF the early ra rs. In setting out plants
spread the roots and give them plenty
of room, putt ng them in openings
made with dibble, and pressing the
sol closely and firmly to the plants.
Plenty of stable manure should be
used on strawberr es, but it is best to
apply it in the fall. They will, how
ever. need manure in the spring; but a
few handfuls of good, rch well-rotted
compost. assisted by tablespoonful OF
superphosphate. will give them a vig-
orous growth till fall, when the man
ure should be well and evenly spread
thckly over the plants and on both
des of the row. This should be done
as late in the season as possible, in or
der that the manure may serve as a
winter mulch, and also to apow the
frost to operate upon it, thereby has
tening its decomposition, and render
ing 1t more soluble when turned under
in the spring. The plants should be
placed in rows. the rows wide enough
to admit OF cultivation, W III the plants
one foot apart in the rows Many per-
sons place them closer, but better re-
ty OF room. Pick off every blossom
that appears, and do not allow single
runner to make growth. The plants
will then grow, and store up matter.
VIII ch VIII give abundant fruit the Sec
ond year, but no grass or weeds must
be allowed to grow between the rows
or around the plants. as the bed must
be kept scrHpulously clean. In re-
moving the mulch of manure in the
spring 1t is best to chop 1t into the soil
with the hoe, but not deeply, only
enough to clear the vines and mix the
manure with the top sol. After the
ground has been thus treated, a litter
of cut straw around the plants, held in
place by corn-stalks on both sides of
the row. will assist in the prevention of
grass, as well as serving as summer
mulch and keeping the berries clean.
After the fruit has been taken of,
work the ground clean and keep it so.
Apply broadcast, for an acre, a mix
ture of 400 pounds superphosphate and
800 pounds muir, ate of potash, late in
the fall, and mulch with straw, hay.
leaves, or whatever will answer. The
next season use manure again. BY
thus continually keeping of the run
ners and alternat ng with fertilizers
and manure, the plants will last for
five years, and in favorable seasons the
yields will be very large As to
the varieties, the Wilson holds
its own for market, while the
Sharpless is usually preferred for
home use. No var ETY., however,
will give satisfact on unless well cult
waited and the runners prevented from
growing. Mulching in winter is not
absolutely essent al in this section. but
it is best, as the benefits derived from a
mulch will more than repay the cost of
its application. Should the grass get a
foothold the plants will be injured so
that they will never fully recover. The
roots of strawberry plants feed close to
the surface, and hence the hoeing of
them in spring should be very shallow.
A deep hoeing may be given after the
crop is picked. and subsequent work
ings should be done in such a manner
as to simply keep the grass out and the
bed clean. Wood ashes may be used
on the rows with advantage, and if
plent full may be substituted for the
muriare of potash. The plants may
also 90 in the ground in the fall instead
of in the spring, if preferred. Farm.
Fteld and Stochndn. . .