Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-01-25

tion as may best apply to their indi-
vidual requirements.
THE STRAWBERRY
As the strawberry Is our earlies. and
i may add, most delicious of fruits, 1
will take it first. would here inform
my readers that owing to Whatcom
county having no commissioner TO look
out. for its interests, and me not hay-
ing received the appointment of coll
lector of horticultural exhibits, for
Whatcom county, work in the field
commenced so late that all the straw
berries were gone and | was only able
TO procure one sample of that fruit, and
that had been grown the year before
and preserved in alcohol, and other
wise a very fine specimen, was moth
ing in comparison to what we might
have had. II therefore behOoves those
having good varieties of Strawberries To
make an effort to supply the deficiency
this season.
Size being the most important fea-
lures in exhibition berries, / would
suggest that Sharpless, Jessie and Bu-
back would be the varieties best suited
for exhibition, though among the great
number of new varieties Others may be
found equally available. If anyone
having patch Of good varieties
will mark off, say, one or
two dozen plants and, removing
all runners from the parent plant,
spade round the plants as soon as the
frost is out Of the ground, and the soil
will work up fine and mellow. No use
digging as long as the ground is wet or
soggy. Then mulch around the plants
with three or tour inches deep Of stable
manure. There being three-fold OBJ
ject in this mulch, first, to smother
weeds, secondly, to keep the ground un-
derneath cool and moist, and thirdly,
to supply nourishment TO the roots Of
the plant and stimulate il to vigorous
growth. 1t will be seen that the mulch
ought to extend from close around the
crown of the plant, and completely
cover all the ground around the plant.
As grass and clover are highway rob
bers in the prize strawberry bed, it Is
incumbent to go down on ones knees
and hand pick every sort Of grass, clo-
yer, sorrell or other plants from among
the Strawberries. Before mulch
ing the next step viii be, after the
plants have blossomed and set the first
two or three fruits upon each fruit
stalk, to nip with the thumb nail every
fruit and blossom but one off each fruit
stalk. This will cause the plant TO
throw all the nOurishment it obtains
| from the soil and manure into those
| few berries, forcing them TO enormous
growth. As they increase in size the
| berries ought to he placed on Il small
! piece of wood or a leaf in order TO pre-
vent being soiled or injured. About
| this time the new runners will begin
| to form and shoot out and ought TO be
remorselessly nipped Off About this
| time also, the strawberry leaf blight
may begin TO show, and at the first ap-
pearance Of the brown spots upon the
leaf, should be sprayed with amonlai
carbonate of copper or modified eau ce-
leste. In fact, if the leaves Of your
strawberry patch were affected with
| blight last season, it will be well TO
spray them over before the blight ap-
pears as a matter Of precaution.
As | mentioned above that il was inn
portant TO induce the plant to drink as
much stimulants as possible even
though you may be a prohibitiOnist), a
very great increase in size of berry will
be obtained by dissolving an ounce of
salt petre init. pot in five gallons of
water and sprinkling IL over the mulch
once when the growth commences in
the spring, again when the berries
set, and again when the berries begin
to turn color. When fully ripe pick
and If arrangements are proposed by
the Worlds fair commission for ship
ping them in fresh state upon ice,
that will be the best way 10 forward
them. If, however, there are no avail
able means at hand to ship them in a
fresh state, they can be placed in glass
jars and preserved in suitable fluid. AS
our enterprising and experienced hOr-
ticultural and nursery man, Mr.. John
Bennett, Of WhatcOm, has discovered
new process Of preserving fruits, which
will retain their color, with which he
has been successfully experimenting
for the past year, / will as soon as
obtain his permission to do so, publish
IL for the general benefit In my next
! will take up the individual treatment
necessary to the best results with other
| fruits In order Of their ripening. BY fol-
lowing out the above suggestions, the
result will amply pay for the extra
trouble incurred. Therefore let each
contributor put in his best work for the
honor and glory Of Whatcom county.
A. w. THORNTON.
County papers please cODy