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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 QUERIES. 



What is the proper time of year for layering grape 

 vines, and when the best time to set out the cut- 

 tin jrs '] 



When is the best time to set out strawberry plants, 

 and how far apart outrht they to be set? 



What kind of manure is best adapted to each? 

 Please answer, and you will much oblige 



N. Raymond, Me. S. Tenney. 



Remarks. — The proper time of layering is in the 

 spring. The vines should be laid on the ground 

 where they are to be planted, when the buds begin 

 to start, that they may shoot upward. Let them 

 remain till the shoots are four or five inches high 

 Then dig a trench two or three inches deep, lay 

 the vine in it, fasten it down with sticks to the 

 bottom of the trench, then cover it with fine soil. 

 When the weather becomes hot it is better to 

 mulch them. We find this a very successful mode. 

 We now (July 3d) have shoots from layers, five 

 or six feet high, and growing with great rapidity. 

 On some vines six feet long we have eight or ten 

 shoots. 



Cuttings should be planted in the spring. They 

 should either be planted early, or laid in fine soil 

 exposed to the sun and covered about one or two 

 inches deep, that vegetation may commence early. 

 This takes place some time before the roots start. 

 In this way later planting will answer. 



The best time for setting out strawberries is in 

 the spring, just as the plants have started, that vig- 

 orous ones may be selected. They should be set 

 in rows four feet apart; and, generally, they should 

 be about one foot apart in the rows. But, as dif- 

 ferent varieties differ in vigor and hardiness, the 

 distance should be adapted to the habits of the va- 

 riety when they are known. 



Last spiing, we set ten kinds four feet apart in 

 the rows, and the plants one foot apart. This sea- 

 son, we find a great difference in the quantity of the 

 plants. Some are too thick; others too thin. Early 

 Virginia, Boston Pine and Jenney's Seedlings, 

 are about thick enough. Willey's is too thick by 

 one-third. In setting these again we should set 

 the plants eighteen inches apart. Hovey's Seed- 

 ling and Black Prince are not half thick enough; 

 they grow with less vigoi than other plants. And 

 the late tender plants were killed by the winter. 

 We think we set the plants of Hovey's eight in- 

 ches in the row , as its habits were known to us. Yet 

 we did not get half a crop, owing to the scarcity 

 of the plants. Or a better way might be to set two 

 rows eighteen inches apart, and then leave thirty 

 inches between; making a double row to every 

 four feet, and the plants should be placed eight or 

 ten inches apart. This mode would be more ex- 

 pensive in planting and cultivating, than is required 

 in managing a more vigorous variety. 



If sti-iwberry plants are set in July or early in 



August, and wet weather succeeds, the new 

 plants from the runners will be sufficiently strong 

 to bear fruit the next season. But if they are 

 set late in August, or if set early ana there 

 is a long diouffht and hot weather, the new 

 plants will produce but little fruit another sea- 

 son. And the cultivator would have to rely upon 

 the plants set out for his crops; therefore, we 

 should advise thick setting in summer, as recom- 

 mended for Hovey's Seedling. Then if no new 

 vigorous plants are formed the old plants would pro- 

 duce a tolerable good crop. 



A good manure for grapes or strawberries is a 

 compost of one-third animal manure with two- 

 thirds sand, gravel, loam, mud, or peat, according 

 to the soil. Mud, peat or clayey loam is good for 

 dry soil, and sand and gravel for soils rather too 

 heavy. In addition, bone manure, ashes, soap-suds 

 and various other materials are good. Cinders from 

 the blacksmith's forge and fine brick dust are good 

 for grapes. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 POTATO ROT. 



Now is the time to ascertain, by actual observa- 

 tion, the truth or fallacy of the pretended theories 

 of this malady. If it be true, as Mr. Flanders says, 

 that "a small insect or black bug" is the cause, 

 then every one who will take the trouble to look, 

 can discover it. Upon our own vines, no appear- 

 ance of disease or decay has yet been seen. But 

 some of my neighbors say, they liave discovered a 

 black bug, about one-sixteenth of an inch in length, 

 not unlike a flea, in large numbers, about their po- 

 tatoes; others have seen a similar bug about theii 

 squashes; let every one watch carefully, and trace 

 the consequences of their movements. I have be- 

 fore heard of this bug theory. I recollect Mr. 

 Mason, of West Beach, in Beverly, so explained the 

 loss of the potato the last year. He actually poin ted 

 out the insect upon the vines; and said he had noticed 

 them for years; but nobody gave credit to his explana- 

 tion — nor did I — nevertheless, a practical, observing 

 man in Beverly, may be as likely to be right, as any 

 such man in Lowell. Look sharp, and if there is 

 any truth in the theory, the present season will 

 settle it. And if there is not, let some other theo- 

 ry be started. 



Danvcrs, June 30th, 1851. 



Remarks. — We have noticed the black bug or 

 fly on our potato tops, but we think it is nothing 

 new, and we do not apprehend any loss of potatoes 

 from his operations. Others recognize this bug as 

 an old acquaintance. 



For tlie New England Farmer. 

 MULCHING TOMATOES. 



Friend Cole: — There exists in the minds of 

 cultivators a great difference of opinion with re- 

 gard to the best method of managing the tomato. 

 Some tie them up on bushes, while most people 

 allow nature to take its own course. 



Now, sir, my method is to cultivate well, till 

 the vines get large enough to begin to lean and 

 spread, then to hoe the ground over fresh, and cov- 



