103 



STRAWBERRIES, 



BY H. C. WHELLAMS. 



March 18th, 1898. 



A. B. C. OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 



As it is the aim and desire of this society to have as 

 much practical information as possible, it will not be within 

 my province to go any deeper into this subject than the ex- 

 perience of the last four years would indicate, and this only 

 brings me to the A. B. C. of Strawberry Culture. I believe 

 the time has now arrived when we may consider that the 

 growing- of Strawberries for market, in Manitoba, has got be- 

 yond the uncertainty of the experimental stage, and we can 

 now say, without hesitation, that in 'this province we can 

 grow as fine flavored and almost as large berries as are grown 

 in Ontario. In making this statement, I am fully aware of 

 the responsibility attached to it, but when I state that a 

 number of gardeners, in the vicinity of Winnipeg, have had 

 fair crops of first-class fruit for the last six years, I consider 

 these facts warrant such an opinion. 



Of all kinds of small fruits there is not one that will re- 

 pay the expense and trouble of manuring as will the straw- 

 berry. It delights in a deep, well-enriched and thoroughly 

 cultivated seed bed ; it will do well on a variety of soils as 

 long as there is good drainage. Preference may be given to 

 sandy locations over heavy clay, as the former will be earlier 

 and is much easier to work, which is a special advantage in 

 the setting of young plants. The first essential to success is 

 the establishment of good, strong vigorous plants ready for 

 planting in previously prepared land during the early growing 

 seasons of spring and summer, keeping in mind the earlier 



