The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-03-17
Horticultural Notes
STRAWBERRIES, PLANTING, CnL'
TURE AND MARKETING.

y
our fruits to come into use, and almOS
universally enjoyed as a luscious anC
wholesome diet. 1t seems to me that
the medicinal ami palatable qualities
of the strawberry, and coming as il
does in the early spring time, should
! be sufficient inducement to any one
owning piece of ground to any ex
! tent to plant few straw berries. Any
kind of berry from your own garden
! is,ninfinitely superior in flavor to the
"Sour Mash" often found in market.
do not propose in this paper to en-
| Tighten the intelligent membership OF
this society; no direction fer the plant
ing, culture and marketing straw
berries would be as valuable as their
own experience. But a few pointers
as to the when, what and how of this
business may be of service to the be-
ginner who for the first or the twetieth
time in his life has just determined
that he will plant q strawberry bed
and "tend it himself.n Then there is
the general farmer, who of all others
should provide for himself and family
a plentiful supply of this and all other
fruits, but who is liable to think that
he is to busy with. bigger things to
look after berry patch if he had one.
How | should like to wake him up to
a realizing sense of the pleasure, 5en-
eft and profit of the fruit garden.
The mystery of the profitable grow
ing of straw berries is a myth. The
plant thrives upon any good garden
soil: soil that will grow good corn, or
cabbage, will grow good strawberries
and plenty of them.
The secret of bOuntiful yield of
this fruit is:
First, proper selection and prepa-
ration of the plot of ground for it.
Second, a selection of varieties suit
ed to your soil and climate.
Third, thorough cultivation as for
any garden crop.
With this treatment there is no
product of the soil that will give larg-
er returns for the time and labor eX-
pended. nor is there any more certain
crop grown in this latitude. AS al
ready intimated any good garden soil
will suit for awberry bed. My
first selection would be a sandy loan,
with east inclination, well protected
from the south winds, and afternoon
sun. Having selected this plot of
ground, / would proceed to put it in
the best condition possible before
planting by giving 1t a deep blowing
i'm the fall, leaving it rough to freeze
through the winter. About the first
of March, if the frost and moisture
were out | would drag or harrow the
blowing laying the burrows over as
fiat as possible, and if you follow the
pillow in each furrOw with subsoil
pillow run Is inches deep so much the
better. This answers the purpose of
drainage which is very necessary to
the best results. Your plot is now
ready to lay by until the weather is
settled, and soil friable and mellow.
When these conditions prevail cover
your land with fine coat of well rot
ted manure, put your harrow to work
and thoroughly pulverize the soil four
or five inches deep. Your patch is
now ready to plant. circumstances
are such that you cannot get your
plants set in March or April, set them
May, the best patch of strawberries L
ever had, were planted the 10Th, day
of May, in lola, Kansas.
In selecting plants, you can ascer-
tain what is best for your locality by
consulting the berry growers in your
neighborhOod, if there are any, if not,
you cannot go far wrong if you plant
about half your plantation in crescent
Seeding, the other half in Bulach No.
5, Wartield. Gaudy, Charles Downing
and Haveland. Having your ground
and plants all ready, sketch line or
run a shallow marker lengthwise of
your plot, now dip the roots of each
plant into a muck made by mixing
good soil and water thoroughly work.
ed together until about as thick and
sticky as paint. l have had the best
success, transplanting all kinds of
plants by pudding the roots in this
manner.
Having prepared your plants as in
Dictated drop them along the line or
furrow, eighteen inches apart being
careful not to get too many dropped
ahead of the planting, then with the
hands alone, or with the use of a dib-
bic, or garden trowel set the plants,
not too deep, and press the earth firm
ly about the roots; after planting the
first row in this manner move YOUR
line or run your marker t feet from
the first one, and so continue until the
planting is complete, then it will pay
you to 60 over the plantation and with
the hoe draw the earth about the
plants leaving the surface nicely
levelled. This last operation prevents
the soil from baking or packing where
it has been pressed to the roots. The
of the roots keeps them
moist for several days, or until the
fiber roots have started, when your
plants are safe. This plan of plant
ing will make matted row of plants
about four feet wide in each strip with
a narrow path between the strips.
This matted row plan is the best in
this hot dry climate, hill culture has
not proven profitable here. Another
thing to observe is to alternate your
rows with plants producing perfect |
and imperfect blossoms, pistate and
for instance; plant row of
which is pistilate, or i'm
perfect Towering plant, then a row of
Charles Downing, which is a stami- |
nate or perfect Towering sort. The
plantation is now ready for cultivation. |
This should be done mainly with a |
horse and cultivator, the latter pro-
vided with narrow shovels, stirring
the soil thoroughly and leaving it
level, this should be continued until !
the runners from the plants interfere,
when the soil should be stirred with |
a prOnged hoe, and the weeds pulled |
put by hand. if necessary, until the |
end of the growing season. If the |
planting and cultivation have been |
nrOOprlv dOna vau will bara q bod on
field of plants that will yield at least |
three good crops of berries with but |
little further labor aside from the |
picking. If the plantation has been |
Kept free from weeds and grass and |