The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-11-09
FARM And HONE.
How to Raise superior stra~berrie,

How to Raise Superior Strawberries.
Persons who desire very large
strawberries OF fine color and flavor
should not expect TO raise them from
plants that grow in matted rows or
among weeds and grass. Neither
should they expect to raise them on
poor land, indifferently prepared, and
on which little or no labor is expended.
1t is generally believed that western
farmers would raise more bushels of
potatoes, corn aud small grain IL they
expended the same labor they now do
on smaller amount of land. What 8
true OF field crops is also true of straw
berries. In raising supply for
family only a few small plat OF ground
is required. One hundred plants,
properly raised or selected, and cult
waited in the best manner possible, will
produce all the berries five persons
will consume. The ground on which
they are to be set out should be heavily
manfred and worked over with spade
10 the depths OF at least eigh teen
inches. The spading should be well
done so that all the soil shall be thor
oughly pulverized.
Plants that grow on runners one year
should be selected for setting the fol-
lowing season. II runner is allowed
TO produce but single plant, it will be
large and vigorous one. II small
pot, such as is used by florists for start
ing bedding plants lie, is placed in the
ground beneath the young plant AMI
filled with rich earth, the roots will ex-
tend through the soil and the work of
transplanting will be rendered easy.
Old berry boxes or tin cans, II hole
be made In the bottom. can be used in
the place OF small earthen pots. Plants
raised In pots or boxes are not injured
or retarded in their growth by being
transplanted. II they are set eighteen
inches apart and the runners and bios
SONS are cut from them the first season,
they will become very large and strong.
The flower stalks and runners can be
pinched off very easily when they are
young and tender. If allowed to grow
they appropriate much of the sap that
would otherwise 60 to form a large
stool.
The following year the p lants will
produce an enormous crop Of very
large berries. They will make mo st of
their growth from the substances that
were stored up in the crown of the
plant during the previous year. BY
preventing the growth OF runners and
by manuring the ground after the ber-
ries nre gathered, the old plants will
produce good crop the next season.
Many may object to this plan of rails
Ing Strawberries for the reason that it
requires much work. In point OF fact,
1t requires comparatively little. There
are but few plants and they occupy but
n small amount of ground. The re-
moval OF the flower stalks will not re-
quire more than half-hour's time.
The runners must be cut off as often
as they appear, but the work can be
done In few minutes. The time spent
In keeping the plants in proper con-
dition will be saved when the season
for picking berries comes. Four quarts
Of berries can be picked from these
large plants quicker than one quart can
be gathered from matted vines.
There is an advantage m raising
plants to set out outside the patch that
produces berries. A piece of very rich
ground is selected for the propagating
bed, and plants are set in it about three
feet apart The blossoms are removed
when they appear, SO that the sap of
the plants will go to form runners. The
young plants that are formed on the
runners are allowed to take root in pots
or in the loose soil about the parent
plants. Chicago Herald.