The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-08-31

~ hh'ls w Nil'N w Nli's
than ns n small fruit, grower Of witch
the first ON the llst "a tho National small
fruit Of tho country. namely
TIE STRAWBERRY.
This fruit is becoming Of greater com
morclal importance every Year. and will
therefore command tho Highest skin and
enterprise IN itq development Half.wlli
yystcms OF cultivation win have to he
abandoned and the very finest varieties.
coupled with careful aud painstaklng In
hor. ms well ma tho most sklllful aud saga
cions appliances. viii all have 10 be u,li-
tied to obtain heavy yields. as we'll ~
energetic rusillnR' TO realize the most
subject show conclusiYoly that tho proft
H. ~ the heavy yield.
There is only one way TO get heavy
yields IN South Texas. and that IL by
trans planting the young plants every fan
INTO newly Prepared beds, a pant is
young until II has produced tive or three
heavy crops There Is also only ono way
TO prepare the hods, IN such fashion that
the heavy Yield Is positively assured. 1t
f. about as follNs
10 eacn quarter Of an acre OF around
apply broadcast ten wagonloads Of well
rottci manure, In the absence OF manure,
lake n sack each Of bone duet ana cotton
seed meal, OF 100 pounds each, and scat
ter over The ground, now, pillow and hnr-
row rue ltlu III kppl NildIf. anu nhNinK
done this. Then, with a pony pillow, bed
tho ground Into lands 5-fcei wide, by lap
ping to the center OF each land, this VIII
leave q ditch or water furrow between
each land at least foot wide, l'latton
the top OF these lands with the fiattenlng
hoard. Now, on these b-fopt lands, prod
three rows OF holes, cnch holo N inches
apart. ana l2 inches from the edge OF the
bed. FIN those holes with water. and
then insert a rawhorry plant With is
roots branching downwards IN every dlree-
ton. IL II Is possible TO take up The plants
with lmnll ball 40 40. This may be
done In the mouths OF September and Oc-
tohcr. Af'er the bed ~ hllcd with plants,
aud they have started off growing. work
them out with the hoe aud use the water
furrow for the walk instead of tramping
the bed Work these plants about once
In ovcry two ~eeks through tho winter,
and when they commence 10 bloom, mulch
with Pine straw THIS viii keep down
the weeds nnd al the same time Keen the
berries clean. have been growing straw
berries for thirty years and hay" observed
every method and tested many OF Them
aud have found the above the hest for the
following reasons. First, II Is the most
economical ~ the attempt to carry
straw berry bed through the long sustained
heat and drouth ~ this section. into the
second vc1f. ~ very lnhorouy. aud sec
ondly rcsetting in well loosened and we'll
prepared land Is many Times better than
leaving them packed and baked In hard
ground 10y poliing rains. ana parchins
heat an can say If, II you wan, to grow
st Wberrlcs. and have big berries and
lots Of them. whvi do As I suggest. and
81 you want TO be contrary. why, DO the
other way.
VARIETIES
About varieties ! have lltils to say. eV-
ccpt that stra wb"rry growers should COM
hie together aud test all varieties intro
ducei. as II is especially desirable that
the rubbish which gluts the market should
bc replaced by varieties more tempting
and attractive Mexico and California
are both as warm countries ns South
Texas, ana yet both have far inner berries
than W. have here. There is no section
Of this continent so well adapted naturally
for the strawberry as fhe land on the
Gulf OF Mexico, and the season may, by
N well az the standards. he extended from
February ~ ~ July. Held OF Industry
g. therefore offered IN the growth OF this
fruit, which VIII make n professional ear
d,ner independent and the llnns lai1 down
wiil h. found equally valuable Tor tho
amateur, who II unable to do the work
with the pillow, ca1 easily adapt the SPADE
TO place the ground in like condition.
Now. let us have some straw berries that
viii reflect credit on the grower ard or
IA. hectlon OF country they are grown In.
THE BLACKBERRY,
The finer varieties OF blackberry viii
grow and thrive in South Texas equally
as well as anywhere else. Prepare the
ground exactly an II for the strawberry.
and plant one row Of canes down the cen.