The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-07-29
Strawberry Culture.

We are in receipt of number of in
quiries on this subject, requesting an
early answer. In order to comply with
this request we reprint here an article
of ours contributed year ago to the
Canadian Journal Of Agriculture
have been growing berries for mar
ket at the south end of Lake Memphre-
magog for sixteen years, and though
the strawberry is not, year by year, my
most profitable crop, yet it works in
well with others, and helps to give an
income covering the whole season.
The chief hindrance to a uniform profit
arises from injury to the plants from
open and thawy winters, with little
snow. These irregular winters al
ways have their thaws followed by
&c cold snaps" which are very de-
structive to the strawberry plants. l
find little advantage by protection with
straw mulch, which will not protect
the plants from cold unless laid on so
thick as to endanger them from smoth-
ering. Where evergreen protection
using hemlock, fir, spruce or cedar
boughs, which lie light and do not
smother the plants-can be had hand
lily, believe that even in these open
and changeable winters the strawberry
plants may be carried through safely;
but 1 have not been able to try this.
The first thing to be done to insure
success is to choose the right location
for a strawberry plantation. The best
is a spot which can be irrigated. The
ability to throw water in streams through
the alleys of your strawberry beds will
in many seasons double the value of
the crop. There are, in New England
and Canada, many brooks, which in
their course pass through level, or
nearly level, spots of from few rods
to an acre or more in extent. BY lev
cling and draining these spots, and
damming the brook at the head of each,
a most excellent location for straw
berry plantation is secured. An almost
equally good place is level spot at the
foot of a hill where springs break out.
These spots, when selected and pre-
pared, should be well cultivated in po-
tatoes, cabbages, or some other hoed
crop until the grass is subdued and
weeds no longer appear in great num-
bers. 1t is not very necessary to have
these beds near the house, because
strawberries are not very available prey
for fruit thieves. The ripe berries be-
ing carefully picked every morning,
leave none to be stolen in the latter
part of the day, and strawberry picking
by night offers very little inducement
to the plunderer. They should, how
ever, be well-fenced against stock
When thus prepared, before setting
the plants the soil should be thoroughly
enriched. For this purpose stable ma
nure that has been allowed to heat
thoroughly several times, with inter-
mediate shoveling over, so as to destroy
all seeds, is very desirable. In addi-
ton, liberal dressing of unleached
wood ashes is excellent; and if ground
bone is to be had, it is well worth even
$50 ton for this use. l will not say
how much of these fertilizers should be
used, except " the more the better " of
the manure and bone, and at least fifty
bushels of ashes to the acre.
Next comes the selection of profit
able varieties. There are but few sorts
profitable to grow for the general
market. For long time chief among
these has been, and is, Wilson's AL
bany Seeding, generally called Wilson.
This must still be the leading kind, for
it is the only profitable sort with per-
feet flower. Even, therefore, if the
other productive sorts shall name are
grown for the main crop, the Wilson
must be grown with them to fertilize
the bloom, for the others are all "pistil-
lates that is, they have imperfect
stamens, and will not produce a crop
unless plants with perfect stamens are
grown near them. The only other
kinds / can recommend, after many
trials and tests, are Crescent, Windsor
Chief and Manchester. These four,
properly grown, will secure such sue
cession as will give the strawberry
season a full month. The Crescent
and Wilson are early, the Windsor
Chief and Manchester are late. All
four, in good soil, are profusely pro-
ductive, large, handsome and good
enough to sell anywhere. None of
them rank among the choicest berries in
flavor, but none of those, unfortunately,
are sufficiently productive to be profit
able in ordinary culture or ordinary
markets. In buying plants, do not be
guided by cheapness alone. Many
mixed and weak plants, from weedy
and carelessly-managed plantations, are
offered cheap that would be dear if
given away. Try and get your supply
from some well-known and well-reputed
grower, who has some reputation at
stake, and pay his price, which is never
unreasonable for well-established sorts.
Before setting out the plants (Which is
best done in May or June) the plat of
ground should be levelled, and this
should be done with special care, if it
is to be irrigated, a slight slope being
given to it, so that when the water is
let on between the rows it will flow
slowly among the plants, and reach
the roots of all of them so as to give
them good soaking This will double
the crop in almost any season, and
quadruple it in dry one.
The rows of strawberry bed should
be four feet apart, and the plants set in
the rows according to the habit of the
variety in making runners. The Will
son, which makes comparatively few
new plants, may be set one foot apart
in the rows. The same distance will