STRAWBERRY 



STRAWBERRY 



1737 



2419. Strawberry nubbii 



to the New York market, yet he never saw cultivated 

 Strawberries in that market before 1840, though there 

 were probably a few before that time. It is probable 

 that there are now more Strawberries carried to New 

 York every fair day during their season of ripening than 

 had ever been seen in that city during its entire history 

 previous to 1840. 



The introduction of Hovey Seedling about 1834 or 

 1835. and of the Jersey, or, as it was sometimes called, 

 the Early Scarlet, a few 

 years later, marked a new 

 era in Strawberry culture. 

 These were great improve- 

 ments over the common 

 wild fruit previously seen 

 in the market; but it was 

 not until the introduction of 

 the Wilson, about 1854, that 

 it became possible for al- 

 most every one who owned 

 a small plot of land to have 

 a supply of berries for him- 

 self and friends during the 

 berry season. This modest 

 little plant completely revo- 

 lutionized Strawberry- grow- 

 ing. Its fruit was much larger than any other then 

 in cultivation, being also very firm and able to bear 

 transportation much better than any other, and it 

 seemed to be perfectly at home in nearly every soil 

 and climate from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean, and 

 from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico. In addi- 

 tion to all these qualities, it was roarvelously produc- 

 tive. Soon after this, new varieties began to appear in 

 numbers greatly exceeding anything ever before known. 

 This progress has been kept up until the present time, 

 and each succeeding year many new varieties are 

 brought to notice. The increase in the cultivation of this 

 fruit was not rapid until 1855, when more attention be- 

 gan to be paid to it than ever before. Since the close 

 of the Civil War the increase has been almost beyond 

 belief, except to those who are familiar with its history. 

 Strawberry Soil. — If he could always choose, the 

 writer would select a dark sandy loam, rather damp 

 than dry, but this is by no means an absolute necessity, 

 as Strawberries will grow in almost any soil, unless 

 it be dry sand or an undrained bed of muck. Any soil 

 that will grow a good crop of corn or potatoes will grow 

 a fair crop of Strawberries. This remark will apply 

 throughout the United States; and not only that, but 

 Strawberries will grow in some places where the nights 

 are too cool and the seasons are too short for corn to 

 ripen. Hence but few need have any fears about their 



,/7%4H 



2420. Wilson Strawberry (XX). 



success on account of climate, latitude or longitude. 

 The richer the soil the larger the crop, hence the 

 necessity of making it rich by extra manuring. 



The first thing is to be sure that the land is thoroughly 

 drained, as it is impossible to make Strawberries do 

 even fairly well with the roots in land that is filled with 



water. Underdraming is not always a necessity, but 

 good surface-draining is, and no land should be set with 

 plants until it is so prepared that it can be thoroughly 

 surface-drained and kept so. If the land is at all in- 

 clined to be wet, it will pay well to have it thoroughly 

 uuderdrained, in addition to the surface-draining. 



Next comes the preparation of the soil. The writer 

 prefers spring setting. He has sometimes done well 

 with setting in August or early in September, but has 

 never failed in spring setting. As early as the land is 

 fit to be worked, put on about twenty fair-sized two- 

 horse loads of manure per acre and plow it in; then top- 

 dress with as much more tine, well-rotted manure, and 

 harrow it in thoroughly. If fine manure cannot be ob- 



2421. Qandy Strawberry (XK). 



tained, it would be better to plow all the manure under, 

 as coarse manure on top of the beds would be an an- 

 noyance, and cause more or less trouble the entire sea- 

 son. Whether the manure is wholly or partially plowed 

 under, the land must be made fine and mellow before 

 putting in the plants. 



Setting the Plants. — The plants should be taken from 

 beds that were set the previous season, if possible. Use 

 a common six-tined manure fork and take up a lot of the 

 young plants, being sure to get only the runners of the 

 previous fall. Pick them out of the loose earth, taking 

 off all the old dry leaves, and if they have long, nice, 

 light-colored roots (throw away all others), clip off about 

 one-third of their length. Fig. 2414. Be careful not to 

 let the sun shine on the roots for any length of time. 

 During some of the hot sunny days of our spring 

 weather, even ten minutes' exposure to the sun would 

 damage them so much that one should hardly dare risk 

 setting them out. Mark off the beds in rows two feet 

 apart each way. For this we use a marker made just 

 like the common hand hayrake with the headpiece of 

 pine or some other light wood, and about 12 feet long, 

 the teeth set two feet apart and sloping a little back- 

 wards instead of forwards as in the common hayrake. 

 With this a man should mark an acre in a half day, 

 and do it easily. If the ground is still a little heavy, as 

 it is likely to be if it is a clay soil, let a man go ahead 

 with a hoe and strike it into the earth where the plant is 

 to be set and loosen it so that it will be perfectly mel- 

 low. A boy follows with the prepared plants, and drops 

 one at each crossing of the marks. He is followed by the 

 setters, of whom there should be two to work to best 

 advantage. They go on their knees between two rows, 

 pick up the plants with the left hand and at the same 

 time, with the fingers of the same hand, spread the roots 

 into a fan shape, while with the fingers of the right 

 hand the ground is opened sufficiently to allow the fan- 

 shaped roots of the plant to go down in a perpendicular 

 manner into the earth ; then bring back the earth around 

 the plant and, doubling up both hands, press down the 

 earth firmly around the newly set plant. The crown of 

 the plant when set should be a very little lower than the 

 surrounding earth. Be careful not to have the crown 

 covered with earth, as that would damage it. All this 



