572 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 



pictures, taken from the strawberry-book, 

 noticed elsewhere. 



GAH 



The cut hardly does j ustice to the Ilaver- 

 land, but the cut of the Gandy is very ac- 

 curate. The large number of petioles are 

 of a bright vivid green, contrasting beauti- 

 fully with the crimson hue of the berry. 

 Its petiole also allows air to circulate, and 

 keeps the berries from bruising. They hang 

 away up from the ground, just as the berry 

 hangs in the cut, and I think we had quite 

 a good many fully as large as the cut. 



In regard to ordering perfect-blossom 

 plants to fertilize the others, we extract 

 from the new book as follows: 



Mr. Kellogg, of Wisconsin, and others, prefer the 

 Jessie to fertilize the Bubach; they say it makes a 

 strong team. Perhaps so; but the Cumberland and 

 Bubach blossom more nearly together, and, on our 

 soil, I think now they will do the best together. 

 The Jessie is considerably too early for the Bubach, 

 but just exactly right for the [Haverland. I should 

 not wonder if they made us a strong team. The 

 Downing fertilizes the Sterling well. We have 

 three strong teams. I hardly know which is the 

 strongest. That row of Gandy is put in where it 

 may help to fertilize some of the late blossoms on 

 the Bubachs and Sterlings, which are medium late 

 in blooming. 



There are three other strawberries we are 

 going to plant considerably, but we shall 

 probably not be able to offer them for sale 

 this season. The first is Michel's early, 

 which is the same thing as the Osceola. At 

 present this seems to be the best extra-early 

 strawberry. The next is the Louise. These 

 berries are very large, but of queer oblong 

 shape, pointed at both ends, more like a 

 gimlet-handle than any thing else I can 

 think of. A basket of them awakens sur- 

 prise at the oddity. The plant is a splendid 

 grower, fruits well, and is almost as sweet 

 as the Jessie. Then there is the tomato- 

 shaped plant I described in my visit to 

 Mr. Crawford. He says, in his July Report: 



Saunders.— Originated and introduced by Mr. 

 John Little, of Granton, Ontario, one of the best- 

 posted strawberry-growers to be found. This was 

 the most productive berry on my place this season, 

 and was a great attraction to visitors. An experi- 

 enced grower from an adjoining county conceded 

 that it was more productive than the Crescent. 

 Another grower from the same county, upon see- 



ing it exclaimed. "Well! well!! well!!! well!!!!" 

 The plant is faultless, and the blossom perfect. It 

 is very showy in the basket, being large and of an 

 exceedingly brilliant, deep-red color. The first 

 berry on the stem is of immense size, and quite apt 

 to be misshapen, but the bulk of the crop is of 

 conical form, flattened, with a suture or depression 

 on one or both sides, extending from the center to 

 the apex. The flesh is red, juicy, and of a spright- 

 ly, agreeable flavor. This variety, in both plant 

 and fruit, is one of decided character, and sure to 

 make its mark. 



You remember, in the spring I spoke 

 about making garden on ground with paths 

 so close that one never need step on the 

 beds in cultivating and gathering the crops. 

 Now, there is certain stuff that I feel sure 

 it would pay to raise in just that way. 

 First, all kinds of plants, including straw- 

 berry-plants for sale. My plan of making 

 these beds would be to use some G-inch fence 

 boards, 16, 18, or 20 feet long, just as you 

 can get them. Make an oblong box of this, 

 something like the top box of a lumber- 

 wagon. Fit your ground thoroughly with a 

 team as for any crop— that is, if your space 

 is large ehough. Then set the box on, driv- 

 ing stakes to keep your boards from spread- 

 ing, and fill it up with compost. The paths 

 need not be more than a foot wide. In fact, 

 where ground is very valuable the workman 

 can stand in a 10-inch path. Shovel the dirt 

 out of these paths, throw it in the middle, 

 fill up with manure, sand, and muck. If 

 you can not get all three, use what you can 

 get. But make your ground so it is as rich 

 as the beds in a greenhouse, and have it so 

 composted that it can not make a bake or 

 crust, even if you water it every day. Now, 

 this is what you want for the strawberry- 

 plants. If you can not afford more than a 

 single bed, make that one bed in this way, 

 and put single plants, say 4 feet apart, right 

 through the middle of the bed. With the 

 transplan ting-tubes you can take up a plant 

 having a dozen runners. Spread the run- 

 ners out like the spokes of a wheel ; put a 

 little stone— or, still better, a lump of 

 manure — on each little plant to hold it in 

 place ; then water the ground so it never 

 gets dry,* and just see how those straw- 

 berries will run and make plants during 

 these July days. Why, you can do a big 

 business in selling choice plants to your 

 neighbors ; and if your ground is spaded up 

 and enriched, say" IS inches deep in these 

 plant-beds, oh my ! what roots your straw- 

 berries will have ! I have not tried fruiting 

 very much in these plant-beds, but I have 

 visions of having fruiting plants all around 

 the outside edge of the bed, with great ber- 

 ries the size of hens' eggs hanging over the 

 side of these 6-inch boards. I saw that in 

 just one case this spring, and I expect some- 

 thing wonderful will come of it before we 

 get through. Just now, however, the main 

 business is to raise the plants and to get 

 good stocky ones ready for fruit next season. 

 You see you can be raising plants in these 

 plant-beds whether it rains or not; and 

 when your crops are off, and there is rain 

 enough to work your ground nicely, you can 

 put your plants out in the fields when you 

 get ready. 



*A big tank or reservoir, liept full by a windmill, 

 is just the thing during this hot, dry, dusty weather. 



