Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-11-27
ARCADIA IN SOUTH TEXAS.
Another Chapter on the Garden Spot
Of the World.
THE COMETS EFFECT on THE CROPS
snvnnts Predict u Knockout by the
Metcor--rhc Cultivation of straw
berries-Timc TO nesct Them.

The world Is with inc. aud Its many cares,
It's wocs--its wauts-the anxious hopes
and fears
mat wait on all terrestrial affairs
Inc shades Of former and Oh future years
rvr huodlhs iaheies aud prophetic tears,
pnrhing sp.r,t that was once clatr.'
Summer being dead aud autumn expir-
! ing INFANT winter will SHORTY uaGcr ulu
laugh upon the land. aud his Icy fingers
wilI reap all the drOyth has lett vt
autumns towers. Speaking OF droutn
the report OF the weather bureau shows
II the seyeiest that south Texas has OK.
\ peltnced III very many years. II II
therefore apparent that we have realized
about as bau condition OF dryLeNs ns
can possibly occur to tins section, aud yeI
the damage Is triiiing, and not by amy
means iireparable When the freeze aud
snow OF last winter came upon liz IL
was asserted by our Northern AID West.
ctn cousins, whom We had solicited 70
come aud hc.p us possess the land. had
| brought II down with them, but as fof
/ the dronlh-why, we can not charge
! them with II ana are. therefore, NJ a
loss, aud can only nsrribe II TO
THE COMET.
This erratic tramp OF the heavenly
sphere Is reported 10 be again due, aud
Us probably sucking the moisture ont OF
the curth's atmosphere preparatory To
striking knockout blow. Al all events
I this " the way the savants OF France
are at present arguing, some going 50
/ lar as 10 predict from the phenomenal cX.
sting an actual collision with the earth.
| uLder these circumstances, u may Lc
well for the Second Adycntisis to prepare
/ their celestial garments. AS to what the
| probable effects Of a collision would bc
! no scientist eau estimate, but II It's pros.
! pectiyc advent produces such n dlsus.
! trims condition lrnMIh - "a
! today, tho actual contact will be of the
most hOrrifylng description. What o.
smashing and rafting OF glass and pots
| aud dishes there viii bel And how the
chimney tops will topplc over. II these
inventors would only got along with the
aerial ship business prop.c who become
very much alarmed might get aboard
these ships the only troAhlc would be nv
to their ultimate fate when the rntlons
gave out, The farmers aud gardeners of
South Texas having been overwhelmed
! with frost and snow last winter, then
drowned out by excessive rains In the
spring, now dried out by excessive drouth
In tho summer. expect nothing less than
/ TO be knocked out by the comet as
/ finishpr. In the meantime they nrc not
worrying or breaking n colt, or another
yoke of oxen, or sowing clover, or plant
ing strawberry crop.
THE STRAWBERRY.
This most delicious Of all the fruits 10
Just MS easily and profltobly grown IN
South Texas as any where else In the
world. II Is In fnct so easy OF growth
that many people allow Il TO revert into
u condition of wilderness. IL Is tolernhly
certain that the modern cultivated straw
berry has been developed from the wild
berry In limited period, us the first
recotds we have Of u are the times Of
Shakespeare and LINK Walton, There
Is no record Of IL IN Roman history, or
any ntlnr nrnVinu9 ttetorv that Nyp Lun,V
Of. and yet the Wild strawberry Is lndi-
genous IN every quarter OF the world.
Those wild varieties CROSSED with Onc
another and cultivated have developed
tho varieties OF Great britain. the Hant-
bois Of France, tho Alplners of the Flu
ropenn continent, tho Nlrglnlnn of North
America, and the Gillian of South Amer.
ici, MS well ny the Natal varieties Of
South Africa, besides many more yari-
cities. The wide dlsslmilnrity Of these
varieties account for the limitless vnrin
tons Of their progeny, And how great
this variation really Is, IL known only
to those familiar with the countless new
varieties that bid for popular favor.
Strawberries range IN aizo from Guinea
eggs down TO buckshot In productive.
mess they range fmm 1000 to 10000
quarts per eCrc down TO nothing. IL u
Of pnramOunt Importance, therefore, IN
growing strawberries for profit 10 plant
the host varieties and give the most
thorough cultivation.
INTENSIVE CULTURE
means working aud manuriug the soil
an 20 the very highest pitch Of culture.
This is accomplished about rs followsi |
Apply to one fourth OF IN acre AZ least
twenty wagon loads of good. wc..rotted |
manure, aud whatever wood ashes one /
can get TO the extent Of twenty-five bush |
els Wood ashes nie especially CON,
mcnilable for Strawberries, plow and I
hn thu lnn mill N uTrtyQs tlip /
condition Of good garden ground. Then |
set the plants In two.foot rows, mud /
twelve inches apart In the row. Then I
keep all runners clipped OF, and keen /
stirring the soil weekly with Glitter cul- |
tiyatOr or hoe, and especially after every /
shower Of rain. The very best time 10 I
reset strawberry plnnts IN tho const coun.
try ia In the month OF November. II 7
reset before that time they nrc liable .
20 bloom In mid-winter, md hose Blooms 1
berry growers annually reset young
plants, throwing the old ones away. Tho
poorest strawberry growers Keep potter .
ing with the old beds until they absolute
~ run ont. This Is the reason we sec In
the Houston market such Inferior bcr.
tho industry are so conflicting. Young
D'nntS well cultivated have been known Z
to produce 10000 quarts on an acre Of
ground Every strawberry grower shonld
therefore reNcu OUT 10 ullhln tHN ulsucNt
degree OF excellence. The writer has
tri,d irritation to strawberries, and wishes
to state that while Irrigation IN some
seasons may be of Use. II " Injurious 10
others. and had better be abandoned. and
rely more OH thorough stirring and cnl.
tivation Of the soil, and the customary
abundant rainfall.
TO PROTECT FROM FROST.
Strawberry plants, reset In November
will commence TO bloom In February,
and the great foe to contend with at that
time IL frost. IL IL worth therefore
great deal to strawberry grower TO
know how to protect them siiaply md
pffcctunlly. Our method Is as follows:
In January we have largo quantity Of
pine-nccdlc straw hauled mud scattered
along between tho rows Of plants. When
frost threatens. and Of which the wea ther
bureau gives warning. the straw Is rap.
idly drawn on tho blooming plnnts with
rnErs. II Is covered thick enough to
hide the blooms entirely. They IRE then
snfe. This straw remains on until the
Wind changes. aud We take the oppor-
unity 10 run the eultiyator up and down
he inIddles, then rake back the straw.
Il. o