Evening journal., 1903-02-05

strawberry beds should be made. and
those who contemplate having them
cannot prepare the ground too soon.
It is a fact that but few farmers, COM
paratiyeiy, know how to grow straw
berries IL was fCr a long time be-
deved that il was difficult and laborious
90 grow them, when, i'm fact, there is
no crop in a garden that can be grown
80 easily, or which gives such valuable
results in proportion to cost. Straw
berries can be had on every farm and
Abundantly. Growers who make their
and produce maximum crops have Sc
cured 10000 quarts per acre, but
1000 quarts may be considered an ex-
selIent yield. To give some idea of
now many quarts may be grown on a
small garden patch of 25 by 100 feet,
which is less than 1-16 of an acre, 300
quarts on such a space is at the rate OF
800 quarts per acre. Considering also
the quality of the berries on the farm,
ior home use. win he superior to any
hat can be puchased in the market (as
hey will be fully ripe and not injured
Oy transpOrtation)' they will be worth
At least 10 cents per quart, or $50 for
the crop of a small patch 25 by 100
/ ieet-smaller than city lot. AS more
berries can be grown propOrtionately
ON a small plot htan ON an acre, there
IS no reason why 500 quarts should not
De picked the first bearing season.
rhe strawberry bed. If kept clean and
ree from gnass and weeds, should con-
.inue to produce crops for two success
sive seasons or more.
PlCW OF spade the ground as deep as
possible, and then spread manure over
The surface to the depth of two or
,hlee inches, working it we'll into the
oil; but before working the ground
apply also, for an acre, a mixture OF
100 pounds nitrate of soda, 200 pounds
zone meal and $50 pounds malriate OF
potash. Let it be done the first warm
lay, early in spring, and be sure to
work the manure and fertilizer we'll in
% the soil and make the soil as fine as
| possible. Then leave it until April
when the ground should be worked
over again. For a small patch the la
Dor will not be so costly and. as tn,
drst preparation is the most importan.
the work should be well done. Aftel
the plants are set out but little worl
; VIII be entailed on the farmer. "A,
5 there are new and better varieties in
F Eroduced every year get from some re
] lldable nurserymnn two kinds-stami
? nate and pistillate (male and female
plants, as the selection OF varieties de
pends on whether the soil is heavy o
flight If for q garden, make tn
n Irows three feet apart. placing tn
: plants one foot apart in the row. Ever
: 1 fourth row should consist or the STAN
! mate variety and the others of the pis
4 ullate kind. A patch 25 by 100 fee
> would require about 800 plants. Us
only young plants-runners from las
| years grOwth-which may be know
by their roots being nearly white. thos
on old plants being dark. Set them 1.
straight rows, pressing the earth wei
around the roots, using water if neces
sary, being careful not to cover tn
crowns Of the plants.
After the plants begin to grow us
the hoe and work between the plant
well. "A hand-wheel hoe may be use
between the rows, and it will work YER
close to the plants without injurin
them. If the plants are Checked" 4
the rows-that is, placed in lines bot
lengthwise and crosswise-the ordi
nary hoe need not be used, as the whee
hoe will enable one to do the work q
several men with hoes. In that man
ner n small patch can be hoed in 1
minutes, or even in less time. Do nc
wait for grass and weeds to appeal
but keep the soil loose. During til
summer each plant win throw out run
ners, and soon the bed will be thickl
matted. It will be an advantage the
to cut the stems which connect the run
ners with the parent plants. Shoul
weeds or GRASS appear in the matte
rows pull them out by hand If tn
matted rows are a foot wide it wi
leave but small space between tn
rows to cultivate. If water can be ar
piled on a small patch during dr.
spell il viii be beneficial Along in tn
fall, just as winter approaches. cove
the rows with fine manure. and owe
the manure use a light mulch Of sal
hay on straw. Early in the sprin
rake the bed over so as to remove th
mulch and rake the manure fin
leaving the mulch between the row
and after the plants are we'll up us
straw or salt hay under them. so as t
have the berries clean. These detail
are not as laborious as they seem fc
small crop. and if choice varietie
are nsed the result will be very salts
factory. The Instructions apply [
larger areas also. If heavy yields {
choice fruit are desired.
All Over the Farm.
The winter is the time to prun
!