492 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 8 



this by the analysis of the ashee of planie which 

 iiad frrown in magnesil'erons mixture. Moreover 

 he endcavonMi to find by comparative expeiimenis, 

 whether the induence of niacrnesia on vegetation is 

 analogous to that of lime. The following are the 

 conchisions he arrives at : Isi. Native magnesia is 

 not only not injurious to tliegern)ination, vegetation, 

 and fructification of [)lani.^, hut, on 'he contrary, ap- 

 pears to be Uivorable to these functions. 2nd. 

 Magnesia being solui)!e in an excels of carbonic 

 acid7 has on vegetation an action analogous to that 

 of lime; and wlien a soil contains magnesia not 

 sufficiently carlionated, this delect may be reme- 

 died by the addition oi' manure, which by its de- 

 composition ilirnishes the necessary quantity of 

 carbonic acid ; the amelioration will be much more 

 efficacious if the soil be frequently disturbed, as 

 (hen the air will better exercise its action. 3rd. 

 When time and magnesia exist in arable lands, the 

 former is absorbed in preference by the plants on 

 account of its greater affinity lor carbonic acid. 

 4th. In barren magnesian land?, it is not to the 

 magnesia that the sterility must be attributed, 

 but tq the cohesive slate of their parts, to the want 

 of manure, of clay, or of other cora])osts, to the 

 Jarge quanti'y of oxide of iron, &c. 5ih. Barren 

 magnesian soils "aay be rendered fertile by means of 

 calcarilerou? suusiniiLes. as rubbish, chalk, ashes, 

 niarl, &c., provided the oUkm cuudiiious befuliiiled. 

 —Jour, da Pharmads de Janvier, 1839. 



pBSEKVATlONS OPT THE CULTURE OF THE 

 STRAV>'BERRY. 



By A. J. Downing, Botanic Garden and Nur- 

 series, Neicburgk. N. Y. 



From tlie Genesee Farmer. 



The strawberry is certainly one of I he most val- 

 uable and delicious of all the smaller fi-iiits. It is 

 not only easily cultivated, yielding an abundant 

 crop in a short lime, (rom a very limited space of 

 ground ; but while its pleasant sub-ai-id flavor is 

 agreeable to all palates, and Ibrms one ol the most 

 delightful additions to the dessert in summer, it is 

 also extremely wholesome, never, as is the case 

 wiih most other truils, undergoing the acetous ler- 

 mentation. In some diseases it has even been 

 Jbund highly beneficial, and it is affirmed that Lin- 

 nseue was cured of the gout by abundant use of 

 ihe berries. 



'I'he strawberry, through a low herbaceous 

 plant, sends down remarkably strong roots. In 

 good soils these are olten found to penetrate to the 

 depth ofeigiUeen inches or more in a season. It 

 is necessary, iherclbre, to produce a fine bed, that 

 the soil fie deep as well a.«; rich. Where the sub- 

 soil is not positively bad, the ground is always 

 much improved by trenching, (two spades deep,) 

 belbre setting the pliuits. In d .ing this, a good 

 coat of manure should be deposited between the 

 two spils : old garden soils which have been long 

 cultivated, are astonishingly i.inproved by this prac- 

 tice, the whole becoming renewed by the pre- 

 sence of the fre.^b soil ; and the growth of plants in 

 such mould, when again acted upon hy the sun 

 and air, is of course proportionately vigorous. A 

 deep mellow loam, rather damp than dr}', is un- 

 doubtedly the prefera'ile soil for this plant; but 

 alma'it any soil lor so limited a species of culture. 



may, in the hands of a judicious gardener, be ren- 

 dered suitable for it. We have seen very splendid 

 crops ol'li'uitupon a very stiff yellow clay, nicllowed 

 down by mixing with it anthracite coal ashes 

 and manure. 



The best season for making new plantations of 

 the strawberry is either in spring, at a pretty early 

 period, or directly after the beds have ceased bear- 

 ing, in August. If the latter time is chosen, the 

 plants generally get suiUcienlly well established to 

 bear a considerable crop the ensuing year. 



There are various modes in which to plant the 

 beds when formed. Some arrange the plants so 

 as to be kept in hills, others in rows, and others^ 

 again, allow them to cover the whole surfice of 

 the bed. We consider the first method preferable, 

 as in that way the ground can be kept cultivated 

 between the plants ; the fruit is generally larger 

 and finer, being more exposed to the genial influ- 

 ence of the sun, and the duration of the bed ig 

 greater. Three or four rows may be planted in 

 each bed, at a suitable distance apart, and the run- 

 ners from the rows should be shortened or cut off 

 about three times during the season. If the [tlants 

 are not thriving well, a liglit top dressing between 

 the rows in autumn will be of great advantage. 

 Burning oil' the upper sur.fiice of the bed in the 

 spring lias been highly recommended by some per- 

 sons, but we have never found it to answer our 

 expectations upon trial. 



This fruit receives its name from the very ancient 

 custom of placing straw on the beds, between the 

 rows of plants, to preserve Ihe berries clean. The 

 custom is not yet too antiquated to be of less value 

 to those who desire the fiuit in its greatest perfec- 

 tion. Clean wheat or rye chaff" may be substituted' 

 for straw, and it has the very great additional 

 advantage of not only preventing most weeds from 

 growing, by excluding the light, but also, by de- 

 composing with considerable rapidity after th ' fruit 

 season is past, it contributes much to the enrich- 

 ment of the surface soil of the bed. Young and 

 strong runners well rooted, should in ail cases be 

 chosen to form the new bed, and not old plants, or 

 those offsets which grow near them. 



There is a fact with regard to the strawberry 

 plant little known, the ignorance of which puzzles 

 many a good cultivator. This is Ihe existence of 

 separate lijrtile and steril or barren plants in many 

 of the varieties, otherwise plants which produce 

 chiefly male, and others that produce only female 

 flowers. Boianically, Ihe strawberry should pro- 

 duce both stamens and pislils in each flower, and 

 the blossoms should consequently all mature fruit. 

 This is really the case with the alpine, ihe wood 

 strawbeiTies, &c., but not entirely so with the large 

 scarlet and pine strawberries. These latter sorts, 

 it is well known, produce the largest and finest 

 fruit ; but we very often see whole beds of them in 

 fine flourishing condition, almost entirely unpro- 

 ductive. The common parlance in such cases is 

 that the variety has run out, or degenerated; but 

 the idea is a confused and ignorant one, while the 

 heahhy aspect of the plants fully proves the vigor 

 of the sort. 



The truth is, that in all strawberries of the fore- 

 going classes, although each blossom is furnished 

 with stamens and pistilsj yet, in some plants Ihe 

 pistils are so \ew that they can scarcely be perceiv- 

 ed ; in others, there are scarcely any stamens vis- 

 ible. When the plants bear blossoms furnished 



