The Somerset reporter., 1899-05-04
1,s5sGEA =
FlELpaNp GRRDEN
STRAWBERRY GROWING.
Some Hints Especially Adapted IL
the Home Garden.

the Home Garden.
In the home garden it is frequently
impossible to find soil adapted to the
growing of small fruits and it will
often pay to 90 to considerable expense
in improving the physical condition of
the ground Where the soil i of heavy
nature it will often be possible to spread
over the surface and mix with it an
inch or more Of sand or sandy loan
Good results will also be secured by the
use of fine coal ashes. either from hard
or soft coal. and liberal dressing of
partially deeomposed stable manure
will also aid in loosening and tighten
ing the soil If the soil is of too light a
nature and it is not possible to add clay
or heavy loan, the use of muck or wood
ashes will have a beneficial effect. the
former supplying humus and the latter
tending to render the soil more compact
A soil improved in this way will be in
good condition for other crops.
For commercial plantations it will
hardly be desirable to use chemical fer
tilizers, as, with clover and other green
crops and the addition of manure and
wood ashes, fertilizers will add but
slightly to the yield, and the expense
will not be returned in the crops. For
the private garden, however, if the
manure cannot be readily obtained, fer
tilizers may be used
Although fall planting will give fair
results under intensive culture, the best
returns will ordinarily be secured from
spring set plants.
Unless the land is unusually heavy SO
that there will be danger Of its pudding
during the winter it will be well to
pillow the land in the fall and in the
spring thoroughly pulverize the SUP
face. With deep soil the burrows may
be turned to the depth of seven or eight
inches. but in thin, light soil it will
not be advisable to plow more than
one-half inch deeper than the previous
blowing If the blowing was not done
in the fall, it should be done in the
spring as early as the ground can be
worked and rolled to press the loose
soil firmly down upon the under soil
in order that the upward movement Of
the water may not be checked. The
dragging can hardly be too thorough,
and especially if for any reason the
plants cannot be set as soon as the land
has been prepared the working should
be kept up at least once a week.
In dragging the ground the disk or
cutaway harrow may be used upon
heavy ground, but ordinarily the acme
or spring tooth harrow, followed by a
L.,
good results If the soil is at all cloddy,
good results will be obtained with the
use of clod crnsher or roller.
In this way many of the small weeds
which may start will be destroyed, and
the labor Of hOeing and cultivating dur
ing the season will be greatly lessened.
The aid from this is so great that many
growers purposely delay the putting out
of the plants for several weeks ON this
account only.
Professors Taft and GLADDEN. Of the
Michigan station, with whom the adj
vice just given originates (bulletin 1889,
further recommend for small gardens
such an arrangement of the strawberry
plots as will permit the use of the plow
as this will do better work than the
spade as ordinarily handled and in
much less time Where the area is snf
ficient to permit the use of the horse
the land should be marked off at the
proper intervals These will vary with
the method selected for the handling of
plants. When the matted row is used,
the distance should be 3 > to I feet. the
latter distance being preferred by many
growers, but when the hill system of
planting is used the rows may be as
close az q or 3 feet, while some grow
ers who expect to work the ground both
ways mark the land in squares of two