48 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



colour, and as easily made and applied as white- 

 wash or gas tar. The hope at first was indulged, 

 that these two would mix, and so form a neutral 

 colour ; but after our best efforts, they obstinately 

 refuse to associate on any terms. Even lime and 

 gas tar will not combine. 



If some economical and easily made wash were 

 generally known, with the appropriate and suita- 

 ble colouring matter, to give it a stone or slate 

 colour, I have no doubt it might in time be gene- 

 rally adopted, and all of us be the gainers, in 

 having many a glaring rood of paling, spoiling the 

 scenery, and offending the eye, — sobered into 

 keeping with the surrounding landscape, besides 

 avoiding the necessity of the yearly spring coat, 

 to " keep up appearances." 



I have understood stone coloured wash is much 

 used in England for farm and other purposes, in 

 place of our white-wash. 



If any such " wash" can be recommended — du- 

 rable, cheap, and unattended with much extra 

 trouble in preparation — it will be useful to, and 

 oblige A friend to all improvements in rural af- 

 fairs. Philadelphia, 6th mo. 8th, 1849. 



Answer. — The following is a most excellent, 

 cheap, and durable wash for wooden fences and 

 buildings. It owes its durability chiefly to the 

 white vitriol, which hardens and fixes the wash: 



Take a barrel and slack one bushel of freshly 

 burned lime in it, by covering the lime with boil- 

 ing water. 



After it is slaked, add cold water enough to 

 bring it to the consistency of good white- wash. 

 Then dissolve in water, and add one pound of 

 white vitriol (sulphate of zinc,) and one quart of 

 fine salt. 



To give this wash a cream colour, add one-half 

 a pound of yellow ochre, (in powder.) To give 

 it a fawn colour, add a pound of yellow ochre, 

 and one-fourth of a pound of Indian red. 



To make the wash a handsome gray stone colour, 

 add one-half a pound of French blue, and one-fourth 

 pound of Indian red ; a drab will be made by ad- 

 ding one-half pound of burnt sienna, and one-fourth 

 pound Venetian red. 



For brick or stone, instead of one bushel of 

 lime, use half a bushel of lime, and half a bushel 

 of hydraulic cement. 



Strawberries at the South. Dear Sir, — 

 Although many pages of the Horticulturist have 

 been occupied with the " Strawberry Question," 

 yet but little if anything has been said relative to 

 their subsequent culture and management. Now 

 as I am desirous of cultivating them on a larger 

 scale than sufficient for family use, and as my at- 

 tempt last spring has proved a failure, I must seek 

 for proper information somewhere, and to no one 

 can I apply who is more able to furnish it than 

 yourself. I will premise by stating that during 

 the winter of 1847 — 8, I set out about \ acre of 

 strawberry plants, about one-half were the Large 

 Early Scarlet, and the rest Hovey's Seedling. 



Where the latter were located, one bed, (4 ft. 

 wide) of the Scarlet were planted between every 

 third bed. Except a light manuring at the time 

 of setting out of rotted stable manure and guano, 

 they received no dressing until the fall of '48. 

 The suckers were left on, as I wished to get 

 enough to set out a large space. In November, 

 they were gone over, thinned out, and had a light 

 manuring of guano sprinkled over the beds, and 

 the ground broken up with a pronged hoe, which 

 while it loosened the soil, did not turn it over or 

 destroy many roots. In January, this process was 

 again repeated. At this time, »uano and leached 

 ashes were sprinkled over some of the beds, on 

 others unleached ashes were used. The winter 

 was a very mild one generally, but we also had a 

 few days of greater severity than usually felt in 

 this latitude. Towards the last of January, blos- 

 soms were to be found scattered over the beds of 

 Scarlets, while the Hoveys were evidently on the 

 decline, and from this time, or rather, I should say 

 from early in January, they commenced declining, 

 leaf by leaf dying off, (while the Early Scarlets were 

 sending up new leaves) until nearly every one dis- 

 appeared from the ground, and I gave them up as 

 lost. In this, however, I found myself mistaken, 

 for in the month of March a few began to show 

 themselves, (at this time the Scarlets were gene- 

 rally in bloom,) and one after another, they shot 

 up and recommenced growing, but not with that 

 vigor which I would have expected from the quan- 

 tity of manure and attention bestowed on them. 

 But the worst of all was that they did not com- 

 mence blooming until the Scarlets were out of 

 bloom, the consequence of which has been an al- 

 most total failure of fruit. In fact, it may be so 

 called, for all that were borne were small and im- 

 perfect, and they continued to produce flowers and 

 these imperfect fruit until this time, and will pro- 

 bably until July. Now the information I wish to 

 obtain from you is, whether such is the habit of 

 the Hovey seedling; for if so, I must discard it, 

 however valuable in other localities. If not, what 

 could have produced such an effect, for the new 

 plantation, made in the fall of 1848, died off very 

 nearly in the same way. Are they a late variety, 

 and if so, what other variety do you recommend 

 to be planted among them as fertilizers ? 



Another point to which I would beg to draw 

 your attention is, as to the management of straw- 

 berry beds. When should they be manured ? 

 Should the ground be kept loose around them all 

 winter, or permit it to consolidate, oris it advisa- 

 ble when they commence growing, indicated by 

 their blossoming and sending forth leaves, which 

 takes place before the severity of our winter has 

 passed, to break up the ground then, and apply 

 manure? What manure is best adapted to the 

 production of fruit — or have you ascertained their 

 specific manure? You will truly oblige me by re- 

 plying to these inquiries either privately or 

 through the Horticulturist. I remain yours, &c, 

 L. Charleston, S. C, June 13, 1849. 



