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THE STRAWBERRY IN WESTERN NEW-YORK. 



fruit, than those covered with straw. The 

 advantage of the tan, indeed, has been so ap- 

 parent, that the beds covered with it, when 

 compared with the others, had the appearance 

 of having had an extra dressing of vianure. 



Is the tan-bark a manure for the straw- 

 berry, or is there something in the protection 

 it affords to the plant in winter, which ena- 

 bles it to start with renewed energy in the 

 spring ? Yours, "Westchester. 



Remarks. — This appears to be a valuable 



suggestion. According to analysis, as well 

 as to recent experiments, reported in previous 

 numbers of this journal, tanniz add is espe- 

 cially adapted to promote the growth of both 

 strawberries and grapes ; and the winter 

 covering of tan, used by our correspondent, 

 no doubt acts as a special manure for the 

 plant. If this is correct, it might be well not 

 to remove it at all in the spring ; or, at least, 

 to allow a slight covering to remain on the 

 bed. This would also assist in keeping the 

 fruit clean. Ed. 



THE STRAWBERRY IN "WESTERN NEW- YORK. 



BY R. G. PARDEE, PALMYRA, N. Y. 



Perhaps few articles in the Horticulturist 

 are read with greater eagerness by the mass 

 of your readers, than those on the subject of 

 the strawberry and its cultivation. In almost 

 every village, especially in western New- 

 York, a few individuals have become greatly 

 interested in the production of this most de- 

 licious fruit. 



It need not be thought surprising that great 

 differences of opinion arise with regard to the 

 various kinds of strawberries, and their culti- 

 vation, when we reflect that the plant is so 

 very sensitive to climate, season, soil and cul- 

 ture. Some varieties appear to grow best on 

 clayey soils, while others prefer loamy, gravel- 

 ly, or sandy soils. A few miles distance 

 often produces so great a difference in results, 

 as to produce a marked discrepancy in the 

 reports of cultivators. For instance, Hovey's 

 Seedling bears bountifully, (with good care,) 

 usually, (but not always,) in this place ; while 

 at a distance of only 25 miles, where I re- 

 sided some 15 years, in a heavy clay soil, it 

 was almost impossible to raise them, even on 

 a mellow surface garden soil, while, on the 



other hand, another strawberry which bears 

 enormously there, obstinately refuses to pro- 

 duce even an ordinary crop here with the best 

 attention. Consequently, before making large 

 beds of any variety, I would carefully experi- 

 ment in my garden with a few of the best 

 kinds previously, in order to test them I 

 prefer to transplant my early runners the 

 middle of July ; for I can thus obtain a good 

 crop of fruit from the plants the next spring, 

 which I cannot do when the transplanting is 

 delayed to a later day. 



In our mellow soils, it does not appear to 

 be essential to trench deep or manure freely 

 our gardens, in order to raise the strawberry 

 in perfection. I had in my garden last sea- 

 son, and also the previous one, the fruit of 

 Hovey's Seedling in large quantities ; and 

 some of the berries, full five inches in circum- 

 ference, growing on an ordinary garden soil, 

 which had not in four years been manured at 

 all, or spaded over ten inches deep.* Water- 



* AVe suspect, however, that the natural depth and richness 

 of our correspondent's soil, like that of many parts of western 

 New-York, are such as to more than make it equal to trenched 

 and manured soil in many other parts of the country. Ed 



