CULTIVATION OF STRAWBERRIES. 69 



freshly picked strawberries, smothered in Jersey cream, or Ayr- 

 shire, if it suits any of my hearers better, with plenty of sugar, 

 if one prefers it ? A rich, delicious and healthful fruit, and 

 easily grown ; yet there are thousands of farmers' families, we 

 fear, within our borders, who, though they have land enough 

 and to spare, seldom or never have this fruit upon their tables 

 for themselves and their friends. 



We have written much and strongly on this subject, and shall 

 continue to do so, until we see more attention paid to the culti- 

 vation of this fruit ; for we do believe it can and should be 

 afforded to the consumer for a less price, and that those who do 

 not raise it for home consumption sliovld do so. It is perfectly 

 easy to do it, for it is almost a sure crop. They like a good, rich 

 soil, not too low or wet, well prepared by deep ploughing and very 

 heavy manuring. We have seen as much as six hundred dollars' 

 worth of dressing applied to an acre of strawberries. Set the 

 plants in the spring in rows four to five feet apart, the plants 

 four to five inches apart in the row. Some varieties that make 

 few runners will do nearer, while those that run freely will need 

 more space than we have allowed. Set the plants about one and 

 a half or two inches deep. Never set where water will stand, 

 else during the first winter all may be destroyed. Most of the 

 work of keeping the beds clean the first season may be done wnth 

 the cultivator and hoc, certainly until towards the close of the 

 season. Be sure and keep them free of weeds. When winter 

 comes on, cover with strawy horse manure, hay, straw, or some- 

 thing of the sort that will protect them. The next spring, cut 

 out paths, if the ground is covered with the vines, which plants 

 may be used for new plantations. Weed them out well before 

 the plants bloom, and then look for a good crop. If the season 

 be at all favorable, a large crop will be realized — from three to 

 six thousand quarts to the acre. The income from an acre may 

 be from ten to fifteen hundred dollars. The crop gathered, 

 plough under the vines, and plant the land to cabbages or other 

 crops that will mature before winter. It will not pay to raise 

 more than one crop of this fruit from the same plantation, and 

 very few good cultivators attempt it. W^hat varieties shall we 

 plant ? will now be the question. Among so many on the list, 

 how sliall we know which are best ? Wo begin with the Tlovey's 

 Seedling, a most excellent variety, that has stood peerless more 



