The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-21
FARM, FIELD
Valuable Advice BY an Expe-
rienced Strawberry Grower.
HINTS TO POTATO GROWERS.


It may b useless for me 10 throw out
any hints on strawberry culture to the
practical men now before me, yet I can
didiy admit that / have been actively en-
gagged IN h culture Of the strawberry for
anumber Of years and have made many
vaiuahie n interesting experiments.
however. a. nay name was mentioned IA
connection with this subject. / feel in
duty bound TO tell what I know about
strawberry culture. F1ller defines the
strawberry a. . genus Of Low perennial
herbs with runners, and leaves divided
into three leaflets; caiyx open aud
Hat; petals Eve. white: stamens ten to
twenty. sometimes more: pistiIs nu-
nerous, crowded on q cone-like head
IN the center of the flower; seeds naked
on the surface Of IN enlarged pulpy re-
ceptacle called fruit. This is . very
ON pless definition. defining the plant
from top to bottom. He also says that il
belongs to the great rose family. and the
name of the genus is FrGgaria, from the
Latin Frega. It's ancient name. Ancient
authors do not mention il as q cultivated
fruit. but: rather as a Wild plant, growing
on rocky hiissides. In the fifteenth een-
fury. however. we learn that il was trans
ferred to gradens. but nc real improve
ments were made on it until about 100
years ago.. The first improvements were
made in England. Myatt soon after 1880 IN
troduc ed the British Queen. which became
the leading variety Of that country for
over half q century. In 1854 the Hovcy
strawberry was introduced BY Mr.. Hovey.
Of Boston. 1t was the first improvement
on the Frazaria Virginiana, or Wild
strawberry. east u the Rocky mountains.
All the improvements that had been made
prior to that time were on the Frsgaria
Chilensis. a widely distributed species Of
the west coast OF America. As it and its
i'm improvements did not succeed we'll IN the
United States. the culture Of the straw
berry did o become . success until the
introduction Of ths Hoyey.
The strawberry in its natural state has
nearly alwsysa perfect or bi-sexual flower:
that is, its flowers contain both stamens
and p~istiis. In the earlier iniroductions
of b strawberry the perfect lowered
varieties. such as the Wilson. Sharpiess.
etc. were the largest in size and produced
the most fruit. or late the pistillate or
imperfect varieties are the largest and
most productive. OF these the Bubaeh,
No. ), Haverland and Wariield are the
most prominent. The reason for this. /
think. is that IL requires a large amount
of strength to produce pollen. hence
it is very exhaustive to the plant,
while on the other hand the variety
that is barren and produces NJ pollen
escapes the loss of strength that
is imposed on the perfect lowered
variety. The reason why the first imrer-
feet varieties did not 90 well | do not know,
unless the plants were not set close enough
- ~. -n~f..t I---.~ RI. -. ~. -
perfect variety is set to the perfect, the
better. The perfect plant should bloom .
little earlier than the imperfect 50 that as
soon as il opens its flower IL can be pol
lenaied. In an experiment with eight diff
ferent varieties. composed OF perfect and
imperfect flowers. the result showed . diff
ference Of 30 TO 40 per cent. in favor of the
imperfect lowered variety. leaving no
doubt that the imperfect lowered variety
is the best for large size and productive
ness. There are. ever. two perfect va
rieiies that are exceptions to this. namely.
the Parker Early and Enhance. These sur
pass all other varieties IN productiveness.
The best time for planting the straw
berry is in the fall. although good results
follow when planted in the spring. Pot
grown plants should be set out in Angus;
ana September, as they will bear u full
crop in about ten months from tho time
they were planted.
The selection OF good plants Is a matter
of vital importance. 1t is in fact ''the
thing" that makes trawberry-growing a
success. Run out" plants have been the
source Of much annoyance and unproti,-
abe culture. They are caused BIZ taking
the young plants from an old bed that has
been allowed to bear year after year TO its
utmost capacity; also by taking the
tip plants OF any strawberry. The tip
plant. being the las. ctfor. of the
parent plant. is consequently weaker thar
those Immediately around ii. In looking
over n plantation re often see plants that
are loaded with fine, large berries. while
the ~neighbors NAV have but n few. This
is caused by the tip plants. The methods
Of cultivating the straw berry are many.
Ny experience Is confined to but two
methods. the matted row and the hill
system. l find that the hill system for
our soil (which is of a light. sandy char
acter1, il superior Ia the matted
row. We set plants in rows three
feet apart and eighteen inches in the
rovs. and cultivate with n newmarket"
one-horse cuiiivator and the hoe, cutting
dow the weeds as soon as they appear. 1
would not now venture mn opinion as to
which was ihe hest variety OF straw berry
To plant until | have thoroughly tested
the large number OF varieties and the new
seedlings now az my experiment grounds.
J. L. kaEfpEs. NasEon Island.