The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-08
SEEDS.
Raising Strawberries.

E. P. Roe in Harper's Magazine.
Ny first advice in regard to strawberries is to
set them out Immediately almost anywhere ex-
cept upon land so recently in grass that the sod
is still undecayed. This course is better than
not to have the fruit at all, or to wait for it. A
year without Strawberries is lost year in one
serious respect. While there is wide difference
between what plants can do under unfavorable
conditions and what they be made to do
when their needs are fully met. they will prob
ably in any event yield fair supply of de-
licious fruit Secure this as soon as possible.
At the same time remember that plant of a
good variety is genius capable of wonderful de-
velopment. In ordinary circumstances 1t is like
the mute, inglorious poets" whose enforced linn
itations lamented by the poet Gray; but
when its innate powers and gifts are fully nour-
ished 1t expands into surprising proportions,
sends UP hundreds of flowers, which are followed
by ruby gems of fruit whose exquisite flavor IS
only surpassed by it's beauty. No such con-
centrated ambrosia ever graced the feasts of the
Olympian gods. for they were restricted to the
humble fragaria vesea. or Alpine species. In
discovering the new world, Columbus also dis
covered the true strawberry, and died without
knowledge of this result of his achievement. =
can imagine the expression the faces of
those who buy the 'sour, crude, halfripe Will
sons" against which the poet Bryant inveighed
So Justly The market is flooded with this fruit,
because it bears transportation about as well as
would marbles Yes, they are Strawberries;
choke pears and Seckles belong to the same
species. There is truth enough in my eXaggera-
ton 10 warrant the assertion that if we would
enjoy the possible strawberry must raise it
ourselves and pick it when fully matured-ready
for the table and not for the market Then any
mans garden can furnish something better than
was found in Eden.
Having started strawberry patch without
loss of time wherever it was handiest can
now give our attention to the formation of an
ideal bed. In this instance we must sshun the
shade of trees above and their roots beneath.
The land should be open to the sky and the
sun free to practice his alchemy on the fruit
the greater part of the day The most favor
able soil is a sandy loam verging towards clay,
and it should have been under cultivation suf-
ficiently long to destroy all roots of grass and
perennial weeds. Put on the fertilizer with a
free hand If it is barn yard manure, the rate
of sixty tons to the acre is not in excess. A
strawberry plant has large appetite and excel
lent digestion 1t prefers decidedly manure
from the stable. but that from the horse
stable answers very well, but it is not advisable
to incorporated with the soil in its raw. infer
mented state, and then to plant imn ediately.
The ground can scarcely be too rich for straw
berries but it can easily be overheated and slim
ulated In fertilizing ever keep in mind the two
great requisites. moisture and GOODNESS Ma
nure from the horse stable, therefore. is about
doubled in value as well as bulk if eomposred
with leaves muck sods, and allowed to decay
before being used
Next to enriching the soil the most important
step is to deepen it. If pillow is used sink it to
the beam. run it twice in furrow If lifting
subsoil-po can follow, all the better Straw
berry roots have been traced two feet below the
surface.
If the location of the plot does not admit the
use Of pillow, let the gardener begin at one side
and trench the area to at least the depth of
eighteen inches, taking pains to mix the surface.
subsoil and fertilizer evenly and thoroughly. A
small plot thus treated will yield as much as one
three or four times as large. One of the
chief advantages of thus deepening the soil
is that the plants are insured against
their worst enemy-drought. How often have
seen beds in early June angushing for moisture,
the fruit trusses lying on the ground. fainting
der the burden. and the berries ripening prema-
turely into little than diminutive collec
tons of seeds! When ground has been deepened
as have said the drought must be almost
paralleed to resist the DEVELOPMENT of the fruit.
Even in the most favorable seasons hard, shall
low soils give but brief period of Strawberries;
the fruit ripens all at once. and although the
first berries may be of good size, the
later ones dwindle until they scarcely larger
than peas Be sure to have deep, mellow soil
beneath the plants.