Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1890-12-18
For the Ellsworth American,
The Value of a Strawberry Plant.

\ ueighbor came TO my place Que
morning last August, aud asked for
The price Of fifty strawberry plants. |
gave him the price Of my potted Jes-
>ies and Buhachs. He thought they
were high. and asked if had some thar
| could sell cheaper. | told him tina;
| had only ported plants to sell at that
time OF year. and for them had but
one price but il he wanted. what lie
might call cheap plants, he might 60
and help himself TO all he wanted over
there, without money and without
price, pointing to a patch Of Wilson's
that had fruitcd for two wears. lie
looked surprised and pleased. At What
seemed 10 him. nv freak OF generosity
aud insisted upon paving something
for them. told him it WAS against my
principle 20 take pay for an article
which had. that considered worth
les. He took quantity OF thc plants,
however. and went Away. II that man
ever progresses in the AIT of straw
berry grow luz. he will learn that those
Plants were far more costly to him
than those pottcd plants would have
been. There are very many things 70
be considered. in determining the alue
II plant Probably there Is no fruri
plant that tins can be morc truIy
spoken than of the strawberry.
ii. the variety must be considered
and IN connection With that, climate.
soil, and he purpose for which il
is wanted. neither for garden. or ti,id
culture. or for near or distant market.
One can 9c; at all TIL, ouly approx
matclv except by actual test and to
test all the varieties that are constantly
coming before the public. doomed up
rs something great. would he an o.
pcrsiyc task II The amateur. n well as
IN many cases, very unsatisfactory
nu. T. lessen this trouble wait for
tic report Of the experimental stations
and select few OF those varieties Of
which they give the most unanimous
~ favorable reports.
The ~ thing to he considered. i.
the method 10y which the plant was
propagated We are much less liable 10
get poorly propagated plants from the
new than from tie oil varieties, a tie
new aye mostly grown for plants ana
not for fruit by the nur-ervmen and il
they have iruited. they have not had
time to haze dcgcneratcd very far.
Good plants cannot be grown from
plants that have iruited. neither can
the best plants be grown where the
object is more for fruit than for plants.
TO get the very best plants. special
maturing and cultivation must be given
that would not give good results in
fruiting. / had rather give five dollars
per hundred for plans that l knew
were well grown. than take plants from
truited beds for gift.
The Sd consideration. is, how and
when the plant was formed in relation
to its parent. A good strong plant set
in the spiiDg, cf many varieties, can
be made to produce 100. or even more.
plants in a single season but if it be
allowed to produce only 20. that is,
the power that would have produced
100 be converted in making only 20,
that 20 would be. at least. worth 30 of
the 100 plants. That is one reason why
potted plants. if honestly grown. give
so mu-h better results but MANY
plants that would have formed. must
be sacrificed 10 obtain them. Thus
they must necessarily come high. Pot
ted plants can be grown from a fruit
ing patch, for about $3.50 per hun
dred delivered at nursery but | would
grow such plants only under contract
and then only under protest. l will
not ask space in the paper to 60 fur
Their with this subject, and hope the
reader will receive some benefit from
what have here written upon it.
f.. w. W.