THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



the Minnewaski variety, a large round 

 berry, I sold 500 quarts at an average 

 of 7 cents per quart. Being unable to 

 buy more land, I leased 20 acres, which 

 are also set out mostly to small fruit, 



including 300 peach trees and 150 grape 

 vines. These have not yet borne much 

 fruit, but look well. 



J. D. McCrimmox. 

 St. Louis^ Mich. 



BARREL STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 



UR recent reference to this 

 subject has attracted so much 

 attention and made so much 

 correspondence that we again 

 refer to the matter and present the fol- 

 lowing working details which are re- 

 produced from a circular of J. P. 

 Ohmer, Dayton, Ohio, who is a success- 

 ful cultivator by this method. 



" Take any iron-bound barrel, except 

 one which has been used for pickles, 

 sauerkraut or vinegar ; remove all hoops 

 but four, arid bore four holes in the 

 bottom. Then space holes around the 

 barrel so that twelve plants will go 

 around it ; five rows high will make 

 sixty plants to the barrel, (the fifth row 

 can be placed five inches from top of 

 barrel). So as to make the holes of 

 proper depth, bore two holes, one above 

 the oiher, using a bit one and one-half 

 inches, and cut out the wood between 

 the two holes, you will then have a hole 

 one and one-half by three inches. Put 

 about two inches of firm gravel or coarse 

 sand in the bottom of the barrel. When 

 planting put the plants as near the top 

 of the holes as possible, to allow for set- 

 tling of the soil. Use clay, well mixed 

 with rotted manure ; put in till about 

 three inches above the first row of 

 holes, being careful not to have it too 

 wet. 



"The first row of holes must be eight 

 inches from the bottom of the barrel. 

 Get in and tramp the soil solid, then 

 loosen with a trowel where the plants go 

 and plant that row. Spread the roots 

 out well, then put soil about one-half 

 way up to the next row of holes. 



Now take a common drain tile, twelve 

 inches long by three or four inches 

 in diameter, put it in the centre of the 

 barrel, and fill the tile with coarse sand, 

 then fill up the barrel with soil a little 

 above the next row of holes and tramp 

 again. Be careful not to move the tile 

 and when adding soil to the barrel, 

 cover up the tile, so as not to get any 

 dirt in it. After planting the second 

 row, lift the tile, see that the sand 

 settles and fill the tile with sand again. 

 Then put in soil above the next row of 

 holes, tramp again, and plant that row ; 

 and repeat operation until the five rows 

 are planted. But don't fail to tramp. 



" After planting, the tile remains in 

 the barrel ; have it empty so as to take 

 the water. In watering you water in the 

 tile for the lower rows ; on top of the 

 barrel for the two top rows. It would 

 be impossible to water the lower plants 

 without the tile and the core of sand. 

 You can water the plants too much. 

 Fill the tile once per day, and put about 

 two quarts of water on the outside of 

 the tile. After cold weather sets in we 

 quit watering. The plants want no 

 winter protection. Set the barrel on 

 brick, to keep it off the ground. If any 

 should die in the summer, you can re- 

 plant by taking a runner and putting the 

 young plant in the hole, making it fast 

 with two little sticks. 



" Use the largest fruiting variety that 

 does well in your locality, and a perfect 

 blooming sort, if possible. Planted 

 early in the spring, a fair crop may be 

 expected the same season."- — American 

 Gardening. 



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