Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-09-23
Raising Strawberries.

My first advice in regard to strawber-
ries is to set them out Immediately al
most anywhere except upon land so
recently in grass that the sod is still
undecayed. This course is better than
not to nave the fruit at all, or to
wait for it, A year without strawber-
ries is a lost year in one serions re-
spect. While there is wide differ
ence between what plants can do under
favorable conditions and what they can
he made to do when their needs are
fully met, they will probably in any
event yield fair supply of delicious
fruit. Secure this as soon as possible.
At the same time RENE nber that a
plant OF a good variety is a genius ca
pable OF wonderful development. In
ordinary circumstances 1t is like the
mute. inglorious poets whose eufor-
ced Limitations were lamenied by the
poet GRAY but when its innate powers
and gifts are fully nourished it expands
into surprising proportions. sends up hun
dreds of flowers. which are followed by
ruby gems otiruit whose exquisite flaw
or Is only surpassed by its beauty. No
such concentrated ambrosia ever graced
the ieast> of the Olympan gods, for they
were restricted to the humble Frdgdrid
rescd, or Alpine species. In discover
ing the New World. Columbus also dis
covered the true strawberry. and died
without knowledge of this result of his
achievement.
| can imagine the expression on the
faces OF those who buy the ''sour. crude
half-ripe Wilson's" against which the
poet BRYANT inveighed 80 justly, The
market is flooded with this fruit. be-
cause ii bears transportation about a
well as would marbles Yes, they are
strawberries a; choke-pears and Seckels
belong to the same species There Is
truth enough. in my exaggerations TO
warrant the assertion that if we would
enjoy the possible strawberry we must
raise it ourselves, and pick it when full
Is maturcA-rcady for the table and
not the market Then any man, gar
den can furnish something better than
was found in Eden
Having started straw berry patch
without loss of time wherever il was
han lest. We can now give attention to
the formation of an ideal bed In this
instance We must shUn the shade of
trees above and their roots beneath
The land should be open to the sky.
and the sun free 10 practice his alchc-
my on the fruit the greater part Of the
day. Tie most favorable soil i a san
dy loan. verging toward clay, and il
should have been under cultivation
sufficiently long to destroy all roots Of
grass and perennial weeds. Put on
the fertilizer with free hand. III, *
barn-yard manure. the rate OF sixty
tons to the acre i not in excess. \
strawberry plant has a large appetite
and excellent digestion. Il prefers de-
cidedly manure from the COW stable,
but that from the horse stable answers
very well, butt i not advisable TO in
corporate il with the soil in its raw. IN
termcntcd state. and then TO plant inn
mediately The ground can scarcely
be too rich for strawberries, but it can
easily lac overhcaied and stimulated.
In fcriilizius ever keep in mind the two
great requisites. moisture and GOODNESS.
Manure from the horse stable therefore,
i about doubled in vane a. well as
bulk if compo>tcd with leaves, muck, or
,od~, aud allowed to decay before be
ing used.
Next TO cnriching the soil the mos,
important step is TO deepen ii. If a
plough i used. sink il 10 the beam, run
it twice in a furrow lfa lifting sub
>oiI-plough can follow, all the better.
Strawberry roots have been traced two
feet below the surface.
If the location OF the plo; does no:
admit the use Of the plough. let the
gardener begin At one side and trench
the area 70 AT least the depth Of cish-
Teen inches. taking pains TO mix the
surface. subsoil.an fertilizer evenly and
thoroughly A small! plot thus treated
all Weld n much As one three or four
times ~ large. tine OF the chiet adj
yautagcs Of thus deepening the soil
Is that the plants are insured against
their worst cnemy-droughi How Of
ten | have seen beds in early June Ian
4ui-hinE for moisture. the fruit tru,scs
living on the ground, iaiu.ng under the
burden, and the berries ripening pre-
maturely into little more than diminu-
tive collections Of seeds When ground
has been deepened as have said, the
drought must be almost unparalleled TO
resist the development of the fruit.
Even in the most favorable seasons.
hard, shallow soils give but brief pc
riod Of straw berries the fruit ripen- all
at once. and although the first berries
may be Of good size. the later ones
dwindle until they are scarcely larger
than peas. BE sure to have deep.
mellow soil beneath the plants Il. p
Roe IN Ha'per's Magazine for Septem-
ier