220 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Jan. 28, 183 



(SC£)SaML^I7IL(@ii^ltC£>I9'@9 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



THE STRAWBERRY 



Is one of the most delicious and liealthy fruits 

 that is served upon our tables, and it is accessible 

 to every person who cultivates a rood of ground 

 at a trifling expeniie. It is particularly beneficial 

 to the valetudinarian, and its virtues have been 

 highly conuiiended to persons troubled with cal- 

 culus or tartar. I need not however, enumerate its 

 medicinal virtues, as the rank it holds in the des- 

 sert is a sufficient inducement for its general culture. 

 As this fine fruit is likely to be driven front our 

 meadows by an improved system of husbandry, it 

 is right we should adopt it in our gardens, where 

 it will amply repay the expense of our care. 



The most extensive growers of the Strawberry, 

 are probably Keens and Wilmot, to whom we are 

 indebted for two of our best varieties, to wit 

 Keens' Seedlings and Wilmot's Superb, both of 

 which varieties spraiig from parents originally 

 American. Those gentlemen are located in the 

 vicinity of London. Eachof their gardens comprises 

 about 60 acres, and is almost exclusively devoted to 

 the growth of fruit. The Strawberry plantations are 

 particularly extensive, and many hot houses and 

 pits are appropriated to the forcing of this fruit. 

 The princijial kinds cultivated are the two above 

 noticed. They are planted in rows, two feet apart, 

 and at the distance of 12 to 18 inches in the row. 

 The ground is mulched with clean straw in the 

 fruiting season, to retain moisture and keep the 

 fruit clean. While iu blossom they are regularly 

 watered by wheel barrels, that is a barrel placed 

 on a barrow, with a perforated metal cylinder, pro- 

 jecting about two feet on one side, from which the 

 water is discharged upon the beds as the barrow is 

 wheeled through the alleys. Au abundance of mois- 

 ture at the time of flowering and fruitiBg seems 

 to be essential for a good crop. 



The best guide for culture is the natural habit 

 ofthe plant. It is fond of shade ; and produces 

 best in a moist, cool soil, abounding in black muck, 

 or peaty earth. In its wild state it grows best on 

 new lands. I think that chip dung would consti- 

 tute a proper dressing for a strawberry bed. Hayne 

 recommends a compost of one third moist virgin 

 mould, including the soil, from a pasture, one third 

 swamp earth, and one third the dung of neat cattle 

 for a strawberry bed. Six inches ofthe soil to be 

 removed, and the compost substituted in its place. 



I have recently read an article against cutting the 

 runners of the Strawbeny, till after the fruiting 

 season, but I cannot put my hand on it, or call to 

 mind the reason assigned for this forbearance. I 

 think however it was this, — that the plant im- 

 mediately makes a natural effort to replace the lost 

 etollens ; and that in this effort much food is divest- 

 ed from the swelling fruit. The reason is plausi- 

 ible, and the experiment merits a trial. J. B. 



Albany, Ja7i. 17, 1831. 



PIE PLANT. 



There are several varieties of Rhubarb cultivated 

 in Great Britain, for culinary purposes. The leaf 

 stalks are extensively used for pies, taits, &c. Its 

 cultme for market was commenced there about 

 1815, and now it is said that more than 100 acres 

 of land are appropriated to its culture in the 

 neighborhood ofthe metropolis. Wilmot, the straw- 

 berry gardener, sends it by loads to Covent Garden 

 market. It is coming into general notice and cul- 

 ture among us. 



This plant is raised with very httle trouble, 

 being a perennial, and is one ofthe earliest vege- 

 tables afforded by the garden. Half a dozen 

 plants, growing at the distance of two feet each 

 way, will supply a family. It is propagated by 

 seed or ofl^sets, I have it early in April, by a 

 little extra labor. I place barrels, having one or 

 no head, over a few stools, or plants, in March, 

 and cover and surround them with recent stable 

 manure. The heat thus generated causes the 

 plants to grow ; and the light not having access, 

 the stocks become beautifully blanched, and soon 

 reach the top ofthe cask. The acid of the rhu- 

 barb is very similar in flavor to that of the goose- 

 herry. J. B. 



Jlbanyj Jan. 17, 1831. 



SEA KALE 



Is getting into repute as an esculent. It may 

 be readily propagated like horseradish. A piece 

 of the root an inch long, placed in a drill, 

 root end downwards, will grow and hecome a 

 plant. To oljtain it of its finest flavor, it should 

 be grown in pure sand, and if the sand is impreg- 

 nated with salt in situations remote from the sea- 

 board, the plant will thrive the better. Sea Kale 

 should be blanched, by covering it with pots, or 

 raising a moimd of earth round the plant, as soon 

 as it begins to grow in the spring. It may be 

 forced, like rludjarb, by covering with pots or boxes, 

 and these with recent horse manure ; but care 

 must be taken not lo give too much heat, which 

 will cause the stems to rot. J. B. 



TRANSPIRATION OF PLANTS. 



Dr Hales found that a sunflower, in 12 hours, 

 transpired by its leaves, one pound fourteen 

 ounces of water, all of which must have been im- 

 bibed from the soil by the roots. Water is the ve- 

 hicle which conveys nourishment to plants. The 

 food which it holds in solution is imparted to a 

 plant in a manner analogous to the nourishment 

 imparted to the animal system by the food wliich 

 passes into the stomach. Hence the growth of 

 the plant depends much on the jjresence of mois- 

 ture, as well as of vegetable matter, in the soil, 

 and upon the sufficiency of roots to take it up and 

 convey it to the trunk. Thus a tree divested of a 

 great portion of its roots in transjdanting, makes 

 new wood only in proportion as these are repla- 

 ced by a hew growth ; and thus also a plant grows 

 faster in a moist than in a dry soil (the feitility of 

 both being alike) and faster in a mellow soil, where 

 the roots can fully extend and multiply, than in 

 a hard one. 



These facts suggest to the farmer the impropriety 

 of ploughing deep betiveen his rows of corn and 

 other crops, whereby the roots are broken and 

 woimded, and exposed to the drying influence of 

 the sun and winds. 2. The importance of keeping 

 his crops clear of weeds and all useless plants, 

 which rob the soil of food and moisture. ' And 3. 

 the propriety cftransplanting his trees while young, 

 when the system of roots can be preserved nearly 

 entire, and of surrounding the roots with a bed of 

 mellow, ricli earth. J. B, 



Albany, Jan.T, 1831. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



SALT HAY. 



Mr Editor — In answer to your Salt Hay cor- 

 respondent from Duxbury, in the last New England 

 Farmer, I woidd say, that some years since, I pur- 

 chased a farm in the vicmity of Boston, having 



about 50 acres of Salt Marsh full of salt po: 

 the Marsh yielding about 33 tons of hay mi 

 with thatch, creek stuff" or coarse sedge. — . 

 small expense it was drained with ditches 3 

 deep, 5 inches wide and 2 rods asunder ; this 

 stroyed the salt ponds, killed out the coarse gi 

 and brought in Goose and Fox grass, and incret 

 the produce to nearly 100 tons. The Goose g 

 is usually cut in June, and the Fox grass in J 

 and August in good weather, raked and cocked 

 3d day after mowing, when it looks quite gr 

 and is kept in cock 4 or 5 days, if the weather 

 tides will permit ; then it is stacked or put un 

 cover; (it is best to put it imder cover if possib 

 I use it in preference to English Hay for mi 

 cows, working oxen and horses, and sell my 

 glish Hay. My young cattle and sheep are ki 

 on the poorest of it. 100 full blood Saxony 

 Merino sheep were kept on that alone the 

 winter without English hay or grain ; they 

 from the stack when they pleased, and were 

 under cover during the whole winter and were- 

 better case in the spring, than sheep usually 

 or mine had ever been. 



In 1827, I used a pair of oxen in doing 1 

 spring's work, and in getting in hay and harv« 

 ing ; at housing time, I put them to fatting on i 

 best salt hay !ind unwashed potatoes, giving tKi 

 not a drop of water or liquid of any kind. 13! 

 were slaughtered about the last of Decemlj 

 weighed 2236 lbs. and were sold at $5.12J } 

 cwt. making $114.59. 



I prefer my best salt hay to my best Englfj 

 It brings more in the market when sold for ti 

 or stage horses, or for cows or horses kept' 

 private use. It has been bought by stage oifl 

 ers and sent to Bil'erica, they giving the 1 

 price that had been given for the best of En 

 hay. It is thought to strengthen and enrich 

 manure more than English or fresh meadow 



When salt marsh or fresh meadow is attacl 

 to a farm, it enriches the farm ; these want no 

 nuie and they help to manure the upland. If ti 

 are the same nuud)er of acres of marsh that tl 

 are of upland, more than double the quantity 

 stock can be kept, which will more than doub 

 the mamne, all of which will be for the benefit 

 the upland. Fine salt grass well cured, m; 

 cows in the winter and spring yield milk ci 

 ously, and of the best flavor ; but if it has 

 wet, is musty, or of a coarse kind, it impai 

 very disagreea,ble taste to the milk. 



The first salt hay ever used in this part of 

 country was given to an old bull, that the o 

 did not care whether he lived or died. Wl 

 grass came he was very fat, while the other Cl 

 were in very indifferent condition. Betweei 

 and 100 years since, many hundreds of acr 

 salt marsh in this place have been diked and 

 verted to English mowing, but within the 1 

 or 30 years, the dikes have been cut away, 

 the salt water let iii again in consequence of, 

 marsh being so much the more valuable. 



It requires as o-oorf iveather and as much atti 

 to make salt hay well, as it does to make 

 glish hay well. The |)Oorest salt grass, pro] 

 made, is preferable to the best river fresh 

 dow hay, whether horsemint or jointed grai 

 say nothing of polypod or mount royal.) I 

 been n resident in ihe Old Colony for more tl 

 24 years. I am well acquainted with their milli- 

 ner, I should have liked to have said melJiod 

 farming. Yours, &c. VICINUS. 



Jan. 22, 1831. 



