The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-06-23
WHAT WORK WILL DO.
Some Facts, Figures and Suggestions by
~ Thinking Farmer.
For the Progressive Farmer.
.r STRAWBERRIES. -t.

.... For the Progressive Farmer. ..
r.t .r STRAWBERRIES. -.T ri. @
Mr.. EDITOR My strawberry bed
measures 18x1O it., with eleven rows
20 inches apart and 10 #. long, and
plants every four to five inches in
the row. The whole equals 1850
of an acre. Several years ago Mr.
Griffin Of our town purchased the
original stock of plants from Rich
mond, Va, nursery, but could not
tell me the name of the variety. A
neighbor of mine obtained runners
from this bed and transferred them
to her garden, and [ secured run
ners from there in the fall, (Nov).
1884. By comparison with descrip-
tions and cuts in various catalogues,
have decided that it is the Wilson.
In November, 1884, set these
runners, as above, IN moderately
rich soil, with an exposure to east
by southeast. The ground has the
yellowish subsoil common in this
country and being on the slope Of
a hill running down to wet wealth
er branch, resembles very much a
pipe clay, though with manure and
good working it remains cheesy and
friable under all circumstances. The
soil is thoroughly drained. 1t pro-
duces fine corn and luxuriant clover,
which l think is good guide in Sc
Iecting soil for strawberries. The
ground was not specially prepared
for the plants, nor was it manured
further than in the previous cultiva-
zion as a portion of the garden. l
did not think at the time Of paying
any special attention to the cultiya-
tion Of berries, and set out theplants
to please my wife. Yet the plants
were carefully set in line, as gen
orally do with anything of this sort
that I undertake. With few wat
erings all the plants lived and did
well. They were kept clear Of grass
and weeds and we'll covered before
frost, with cornstalks and grass
They were uncovered little too late
in the Spring of '85 to get the very
earliest berries, but they grew off,
and gave us, the first season, one
and half gallons Of fair berries. To
protect the plants from the hot sun
of the summer, I allowed some vol
unteer okra to grow besides plant
ing corn here and there in the mid
die Leaving the olSra was mis-
take, as the stalks grew very large
and it was impossible to remove the
roots without injuring the plants. l
had learned another lesson about
putting crab grass on as a cover, as
the seed terminated in the Spring
and gave me much trouble. The
second season the plants were COW
cred with cornstalks and pea-vines,
after having been carefully worked
and kept free from runners. L would
have torked in stable manure just
before covering, but did not have
any. This season the plants were
uncovered on the 10th day Of March
and as the weather was warm, they
grew off at once. They had thor
ough working on the 26th of March,
and a good coating of rotted (not
slaked) ashes worked into the mid
dles-th only manure used since
they were first set out. The plants
were again hoed shallow in April
and watered once, as the month was
without much rain. On the Both of
April, whilst the plants were filling
with fruit and blooming, and just
after good rain, they were care
fully mu'ched by laying cornstalks
and narrow strips of board near
along the stems, and filing the mid
dies with sod that had accumulated
in the fence corners, making neat
and thorough job. Just as this work
was completed a heavy shower came
and settled everything down, and
revived the plants after the hand
ling necessary for such work The
results for this season have been so
far beyond my expectations, and SO
far ahead Of anything hereabouts
that / give you the facts to use in
any way that may encourage and
L gathered the first ripe berries
on the 5th of May and gathered the