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84 

 LETTER TENTH 



ON THE STRAWBERRY. 



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No fruit, with the exception of the apple, in 

 80 generally iiaed as the strawberry ; its easy 

 ctiltiiro ami great produrtivenes.i, together 

 with itd delicious flavor and wholosomencBS, 

 has made it almost a necessary of life during 

 its season, while it is largely iu demand for 

 preserves. 



The cultivation of the strawberry has con- 

 sequently increased enormously, but it has not 

 kept ])ace with the demand, and hence the price 

 has been gradually increasing, instead of dimin- 

 ishing. 



The improved methods of packing, and facili- 

 ties for sending the fruit safely great distances 

 by railway, have greatly increased the consump- 

 tion and prolonged the season, as those raised 

 towards the south are sent north before the fruit 

 here is ripe, while those raised at the north are 

 sent south later in the season. 



The cultivi .ion is very simple, and almost 

 any good ground, if well manured, will produce 

 them in perfection. 



The ground should be prepared during sum- 

 mer by ploughing in (if for field culture) a good 

 coating of well-rotted manure ; it should be fre- 

 quently ploughed so as to have the manure well 

 mixed, and the ground in good tilth, free from 

 weeds, by the season for planting, which should 

 be latter end of August or September. Wait 

 for a good rain and then plant at once in rows 

 from 2^ to .3 feet apart, and from 12 to 14 

 inches in the row. Three feet apart is none too 

 much.for Wilson's Albany, and equally strong- 

 growing varieties, while 2 J feet will be sufiRcient 

 for La Constante and other weaker-growing 

 ones. They need no further cultivation till the 

 following spring, except hoeing them should 

 weeds appear ; for the strawberry does not re- 

 quire the ground to be kept loose, rather pre- 

 ferring a compact soil, as may bo seen by the 

 strongest runners growing in the alleys of the 

 beds. As winter approaches each row should 

 be sJ'ghtly covered with straw or litter, but not 

 sufficiently thick to prevent your seeing the. 

 green leaves peeping through here and there ; 

 if too thickly covered, the leaves get blanched 

 before they are uncovered in spring, and the 

 crop is materially injured. 



If the plants were got in early enough to make 

 a good growth the same fall, a fair small crop 



will be got the next season. After it is gather- 

 ed, the plough with a very sharp coulter should 

 bo run lightly bet";oen the rows from time to 

 time, so at to cut off all runners, and the culti- 

 vator and hoe used to keep down the weeds. 

 The following year will give the greatest and best 

 crop, and it will not be advisable to take more 

 than three crops off the same rows, but the 

 bed can bo renewed by spreading manure be- 

 tween the rows the third season, cultivating it 

 in, and allowing runners to grow. In the fal! 

 the old row is ploughed down, and a strip of 

 the runners between the old rov.'s allowed to 

 grow for the two next years' crop, after which 

 the whole should be ploughed down, having a 

 new plantation coming on to replace it. 



In September, 18G5, I planted a large piece 

 of ground that was in cabbages and cauli- 

 flowers, with strawberries, a row of strawber- 

 ries being put between every row of cabbages, 

 the shade from which protected them from the 

 sun. When the cabbages were cut the stalks 

 were left in the ground and the loose leaves lit- 

 tering about; they had no other protection. 

 But as the winter was severe without snow, 

 they would have been better of some. The 

 ground has never been ploughed or cultivated 

 since, merely hoed to keep down the weedr ; the 

 lunncrs have been allowed to grow so that the 

 land is fully covered with strong, fine plants, 

 and the prospect of aa enormous crop next sea- 

 son is almost certain ; after the crop is off they 

 will be ploughed into rows again, and kept 

 clean for the next year. 



Market gardeners could, without any loss of 

 ground, easily thus plant strawberries amongst 

 cabbages, as the manuring for the latter is suf- 

 ficient for the strawberry also. 



Wilson'i Albany is, without doubt, the best, 

 for market purposes, of any strawberry we now 

 have. Its great productiveness, — double that of 

 any other variety, — its hardy, vigorous growth, 

 and good carrying qualities, — make it the only 

 one I can at present recommend for general 

 cultivation for the market. Several other va- 

 rieties are very good, and of better flavor 

 (though as they are principally used with ice- 

 cream, sugar and cream, &c., and for preserv- 

 ing, a little more acidity makes no material dif- 

 ference), but none of them are so hardy, ripen so 



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