96 Bichard Frotscher^s Almanac and Garden Manual 



affording a most valuable green crop, to plow or spade urder 

 during the latter part of August or September, this will leave 

 the ground iu fine condition for setting out the plants, which 

 should be done as early as possible. Much, however, depeads 

 upon the f 11 rans, unless the planter is provided with proper 

 facilities for iirigation. 



OTHER FERTILIZERS. 



Of course, the cow pea is by no means the only fertilizer 

 which may be used. Leaf mold from the woods, barnyard manure, 

 superphosphate, well rotted cotton seed or cotto*! seed meal, 

 bone meal, land plaster, poultry guano and unl^ached ashes are 

 all excellent, the m in point will he to apply it abundantly and at 

 the ligLit time, for the strawberry is a gross feeder, remembering 

 always to give preference to home made fertilizers, wbich in 

 ninety nine cases in a hundred are better th.in commercial 

 manures, whi h C(»st in the aggregate a large sum, which may 

 otherwise be kt-pt at home. 



PREPARING THE LAND. 



All low flat lands shou d be well ditched, although the 

 strawberry loves moistuje, it is easily drowned out. In choosing 

 a location of higher lands, it should he as near level as possible, 

 consistent with tho ougb drainage. We can conceive of no better 

 situation for a sr i aw berry farm than the rich hammock bordering i 

 the water courses of onr pine woods parishes, and especially on j 

 new freshly cie.-»ned lands. In situations of that sort, fruit may 

 be grown of a size and sweetness that would .astonish the resideat^s i 

 of our alluvial parishes, besides the soil, if well cultivated, does | 

 not sufft-r so much fiom the effects of a drouth, and the plants j 

 are longer lived. ! 



PLOWING AND SPADING. ! 



In small gardens, where it is impossible to use a pow, or where j 

 a small bed will suf&ce for the wants of a family, the spade may 

 be used with good effect. In field culture, however, the turn 

 plow and sub^oiler will do equnlly as good work. The plant 

 loves a deep aud lich S'dl, and the use of the subsoil plow will go 

 much towards mttigatin^ the effects of a prolongea dr.)uth. The 

 fertilizing material must be kept near the surf-^ice, or not buried 

 over three or four i ches beneath. After the ground is well pre- 

 pared, a Thomas smo -thing, or a rotary harrow, shoald be lASed 

 to thoroughly pulverize the soil. 



SETTING OUT THE YOUNG PLANTS. 



The plants should be set out as soon as possible after they are 

 received from the nursery. Our expeiience has taugbt us that 

 more plants are lost annually hy keeping them in boxes or tied 

 in bundles, thus Crjusing the ciown to decay, than by planting 

 immediately on arrival, regardless of the weather. When one 

 has plants of his own, they should be dug from day to day as 

 wanted. 



