The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-03-02
STRAWBERRIES,

paper read at the last meeting oil the HOT
ticultural Society by q Chase
MIR. PRESIDENT: The subject as
signed me "Small fruits. when, how
and what to plant" / think covers
more ground than ought to be en-
braced in one essay and | expect to
confine myself to the Strawberry, as
that comes first in the natural order
of things. 1 do not think it necessary
to GO over the ground that has been
gone over hundreds of times. 1t is
not necessary for me to tell any one
that the strawberry is one of the best
of fruits, that it can be produced from
the Tropical to the Arctic regions in
great abundance. This and much
more is well known, but there are
things about the strawberry that
many would like to know. If there
are any that think they have nothing
to learn about raising straw berries, L
am free to say that 1 do not belong to
that class and l have no expectation
that what have to say will be an in
fallible guide for any one to follow
What l shall say will be founded on
my own observations while cultivat-
ing the strawberry during the last
twenty-five years.
First, when to plant. L would plant
in the spring. Our falls in Eastern
Kansas are usually so dry that plants
set at that time are not likely to sue
coed, they do not get sufficiently root
ed before winter comes on. The
changes of our winter season are likely
to ipiure them so much that they are
not in as good condition for summer
growth as spring set plants.
How to plant. My method is to
thoroughly work the ground until the
soil is well pulverized, then mark off
the rows four feet apart. l then set
the plants about two feet apart in the
row. A garden trowel is about the
handiest tool to make holes to set the
plants in. The roots should be we'll
spread out and the dirt should be
firmly pressed around the roots espec-
tally at the bottom, filing up around
the plant so the crown will be just
even with the surface.
What to plant. To my mind this is
very important part. The ideal
strawberry has not yet arrived, there
is still room for great improvement.
read statement some time ago
made by a strawberry grower in
which he said that he would give one
thousand dollars for one strawberry
plant that just suited him, provided
there was but one of the variety, so
he could have control of the plants.
And he would be satisfied with
strawberry possessing all the good
qualities and none of the bad of the
varieties we now have. If we could
have strawberry plant that was as
good grower and az healthy as the
jesse, that would produce as much
fruit and of as good color as the Cres-
cent, as perfect in shape as the Cum
berland Triumph, as firm as Glen
dale, as large as Buback No. 5, and of
as good quality as the best, it would
certainly leave but little to be desired.
1 do not wish to advise anyone as to
what varieties to plant, but will at
tempt to point out some of the charac-
teristics of some of the varieties that
is in cultivation and leave each one to
be his own judge as to what is best
for him.
Among the old varieties Charles
is one of the best to stand
our dry, hot summers, it will live
when many others die, but it rusts in
the spring of the year. 1t is only
productive and of medium
size. Cumberland Triumph produces
large, perfect-shaped berries, but they |
are of poor color. The plant is not !