The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-03-29
OUR RURAL TOPICS
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers

Couu4Ifob 10 DC WORKED Inc sets should be
runners of the previous seasons growth. 1t il
quite important, too that they be taken from 3
new bed, planted the previous year AID which
has not been allowed TO bear fruit. Such plants
are more vigorous than runners from an older
bed.
Strawberries will grow on almost any kind
of soil, As may be seen by noting the patches Of
wild plants found in all parts Of our country.
But to do their best, the soil must be rich in
plsnt-foOd that is easily available and near the
surface. When practicable some favorable
hoed crop should occupy the ground the year
preceding the planting, that extra attention
may be given to keeping down the weeds; also
to heavily manuripg the soil in advance. IA
a rule, northern slope is more satisfactory
than southern. The latter is likely to be-
come seriously injured by the process of thaw-
ing and freezing in Winter or early Spring.
1t is also likely to hasten the growth too early.
and bring out the blossoms before danger o
frost has passed.
The distance between the rows depends
somewhat on the variety, also on the method
OF cultivation one intends to adopt, and the
amount of hand work be is willing to do. Since
L have plenty Of land never plant any kinds
nearer than FIVE feet for I wish to do much Of
the work with horses With this distance
one can keep the different varieties separate.
where the rows alternate with different kinds.
A good way is to mark of the bed into squares
i've by three feet, and set plant at every in
of the lines. Then the two-horse
may be run both ways, until the
hau A.
the one-horse cultivator may continue to
run one way, all along the rows. all tha
season. Even at this distance / find some
vigorous growing varieties that would cover
the entire ground if permitted to do so. I
allow them three feet of width for the matted
rows and keep an open space of two feet be-
tween. This gives room for the euItivator the
nrst season, and for wel-mulched paths a
great convenience to the pickers the next
season. Along the rows of weaker varieties q
little extra hand work in setting ont the run
ners and training them in the right direction.
Is of great help to them. 1t is very important
that the weeds be kept down, and the ground
De Kept mellow all through the first season.
Weeds greatly retard the growth of these
plants. and the runners cannot take root when
the soil is covered with hard crust Besides.
a good supply of moisture is needed If a heavy
growth is expected and weeds as well as crusted
surface rob them of this.
The heaviest yielders are sure to be found
among the pistillate varieties. The Crescent
takes the lead on my soil; but the Warfeld
may be quite as good. The greatest difficulty
lies in finding a good pollenizer, and one that
is thrifty grower and good bearer of market
able berries. The Wilson is a safe old variety
for one to try. Capt. Jack is good, if one can
keep it free from rust. and Michels Early and
Beder Wood are promising kinds.
Where the rows are five feet apart not less
than onethird of them should be set with per-
plants. / arrange the pistiIlate
and staminste varieties in this order: PSP
P 2 P. By this arrangement the pistil-
lates lave two-thirds of the bed, and yet every
row of them has polleniziDg row at its side
The two kinds chosen to go together should be
such as blossom at about the same time and
the pollen bearer should be one that will con-
time TO blossom fully as late as the other The
beds should not be uncovered too early. Il is
better to leave on the mulch for a while longer,
and let the plants get later start, than to
hasten the blossoms at the risk of their being
damaged by late frosts.-American 4gricuIturist
This is the season when the farmer must
decide whether he will seed his grain fields
with clover or let them go unseeded. No other
more important than this. Upon its decision
must. to a great extent, depend the fact of in
crease or decrease of soil fertility. The farmer
who sows clover seed with every grain crop.
and allows this clover at least one years fail
growth. is almost certainly increasing the fer
tility of his land. If he gives the clover two
years growth there may be waste of fertility in
other ways, but the gain from the clover moro
than offsets the loss of heterogeneous plant-food.
With heavy soil successive clover and grain
crops have been grown for many years without
applying any manure. If the mineral plant food
is added the alienation may be kept up indefi-
nitely.
Clover is not money crop. It does not bring
the direct returns from sales of hay that q
timothy crop will bring. 1t is not so good for
pasture as is June grass sod, which supplies
sweet heritage early, and which even slight
rainfall will revive in Summer and Fall. Clover
IS pasture is poor and innutrt ious until about
the time it comes into blossom. Then it soon
gets past its prime, for it is impossible to
pasture clover closely enough so that much of
it will not become dry and woody, unless it
IS cut down and made into hay. We do not
There is very short per OIL when it is at its
best, and just then it is cheaper to cut it and
make into hay than to trust stock of any kind
to pasture it down. We never saw clover
pasture where the moving machine was not
badly needed by Midsummer to cut uneaten
clover, and the various kinds of weeds that grow
With it, which the stock will not eat. Other
grasses may be pastured down somewhat
evenly, but not so with clover. After it has
been eaten off or cut off the second growth is
,weeter and more tender. 1t will be eaten, and
what is not cropped early will be left to grow
-ank and coarse. In the end it does little ex-
,ept to manure the ground on which il grew.
A far better way to manage clover is never to
PASTURE it, but to NOW it as early as possible in
May 1t is well to begin cutting for soiling
before the clover gets into head. Partly dried
{ is much better eating than it is when left to
De cropped green. When the clover gets TO its
pest, which is when all the heads are fully bios
omed, but have not turned, what has not been
ut for soiling should be cut for hay. 1t viii
,e ready for cutting second time in an aston
SHY short period. If cut only for soiling and
lay, clover on rich soil will give three and
ften four crops in single season. The first
rop will be largest, and ought TO give two TO
wo and a half tons of cured hay per acre. The
econd crop should be something more than
on per acre. and the third about a ton. An
ere of clover cat thus will yield four or more
ons of the very best hay tie second season of
IS growth. In making this growth it will
trike its roots deep into the subsoi and fit the
and for producing crop next season better
A