The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-04-19
THE strawberry BED.
A Good Way Of Setting One Out and
Caring for il.

A& IVA "
Every farmer should have a generous
bed Of strawberries. and every farmer
should grow this best Of all fruit, so that
his table might be supplied with big red
berries fresh from the vines, II one only
knew how easy It is to grow them. The
object Of this article is TO outline the
work which should be done to insure
big yield OF luscious berries throughout
the entire season says a writer in the
American Cultivator. And | am going
70 see how plain can make these in
struetions. recommending nothing that
need not be done, at the same time omit
ting nothing which should be done The
FIRST step IA 70 select piece If ground
a. near the house as possible Any kind
Of soil win produce strawberries. An
old potato patch is IDEAL Ground which
has been used for garden vegetables also
Is good. A piece OF ground 30 feet wide
and 60 feet long will hold 800 plants.
which viii produce an the berries a large
family viii consume throughout the en-
tire fruiting season. with plenty TO pre-
serve and can for winter use
Now. just suppose that one has decid-
ed upon the location for strawberry
bed the next step is 10 prepare it for
the plants hy spreading stable man
IRE thinly over the ground. Horse, cat
tie OF sheep manure or chicken drop
pings, any Of these will enrich the
ground SO that il win produce abund
antiy. Plow the manure under lust
as early as the ground will permit. then
harrow until the soil is fine, and firm il
down with roller or float. Make shallow
marks every three feet for the rows and
set the plants every two feet apart in
the rows. A strawberry plant is easily
set. Simply make an opening in the
soil with spade or dibble and place the
roots straight down in the opening as
cabbage or tomato plants are set and
press the soil firmly against the roots.
Cultivate and hoe just as with garden
vegetables. The more they are cult.
veated and hoed, the larger the plants.
Soon runners will start, will take root
and make more plants, and by fall each
row viii be filled in solid with strong
plants. About the first Of December, Or
when the ground freezes, cover the
plants and ground with straw and let
II remain until the next spring, at which
time rake the straw from over the
plants into the space between the rows
weeds from grwoing and keep the berries
This straw viii hold moisture, prevent
clean.
Now, 1t is not hard to grow straw.
berries, is itf And wouldn't bed of
bright green plants, with clean straw
between the rows and the vines loaded
with big red berries, look pretty in the
gardenf And wouldn't It be fine to have
fresh big strawberries smothered in
cream for breakfast, big chortcake for
dinner and strawberry pie for supperf
What q great help it would be to the
good wife in getting up her three meals
each davl Strawberries come at time
when woman is at her wits end to
know what to prepare for the meals,
and at time when there is no other
kind OF fruit The only cost would be
the plants, which would amount to
about SO or 81, and these plants would
bear fruit for two Or three years. No
doubt there are plants advertised in this
very issue, as well free books which tell
you where to secure plants. how to |
grow the berries and all about the work. |
Why not talk it over with your wife |
and make arrangements to have a bed
OF strawberries this springi