286 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



A correspondent, who is desirous of having 

 an abundance of this delicious fruit, inquires 

 what is the best season for setting out the 

 slips. We answer, by recommending the 

 month now at hand— September. The slips 

 should be set during a rainy season, or when 

 the ground is wet. They will have a suffi- 

 ciency of time to become well rooted before 

 winter. By setting out now, the vines will 

 commence bearing next year; whereas, if not 

 set out till the coming spring, they will be a 

 year later. The gray loam is the best soil for 

 them. The Ohio Cultivator says: 



"The ground should be worked very deep, 

 by spading or deep ploughing; and if poor, 

 manured, with well rotted manure: but too 

 much manure is not favorable for a good crop 

 of fruit. 



"The after culture of strawberries consists 

 of keeping the beds clear of 'weeds, and cut- 

 ting off the runners frequently, if young plants 

 are not desired. The runners will need trim- 

 ming: off about three times during a season, 

 and the spaces between the rows frequently 

 hoed, If young plants are desired, a part or 

 all of the bed may be left untrimmed till the 

 plants are well rooted, and taken out, but care 

 must be taken to keep dear of weeds." 



It is the practice of many cultivators of the 

 strawberry to cover the vines over with pine 

 leaves and brush during the winter months 

 and until the spring frosts have subsided. This 

 custom, however, does not obtain with the 

 most successful growers we know of. 



PULLING FODDER. 



The season has now arrrived when this fa- 

 vorite and, to many farmers, indispensable 

 process has to be undertaken. Why it should 

 be a favorite policy with any, we cannot see, 

 although we know it to be indispensable to 

 such as are over supplied with stock, or, speak- 

 ing more correctly, short of grass. To all such, 

 the practice of pulling fodder is important. 



Among all the trees, sbrubs, plants and 

 flowers produced by Nature, we. cannot find 

 one instance where she sheds the leaf before 

 she matures the fruit. All naturalists concur 

 in regarding the leaf as intended to afford sus- 

 tenance to the berry or fruit, and they have 

 demonstrated that the fodder of Indian corn 



performs that function for the ear. All other 

 plants are permitted to grow up to maturity 

 unmolested, save that teeming crop with its 

 long blades and lofty tops, which are too tempt- 

 ing to be passed over, and must needs be bar- 

 berized. Present (apparent) gain is acquired 

 in the fodder and tops at the expense of future 

 loss in the bulk and weight of the ear. We 

 might, also, show how a superior economy 

 could be subserved by feeding the entire stalk, 

 unstripped and uncut; but that subject has al- 

 ready been treated of in former numbers. 



The South Carolina " Farmer and Planter" 

 has the following: 



"As fodder pulling time is at hand, it will 

 be well for the planter to examine into the 

 utility of taking the leaf from the corn. Have 

 you ever thought, planters, of the object of the 

 leaf? How much corn would a stalk perfect, 

 think you, were the leaves all varnished, there- 

 by entirely closing the pores'? Why the grain 

 would be shrivelled and worthless; for it is 

 through the pores of the leaf that the cob and 

 kernel draw nutriment, as well as from the 

 roots. What sane planter would think of cut- 

 ting off a portion of the corn-roots just as the 

 grain was filling out? And yet the principle 

 is the same. Actual experiment has demon- 

 strated that a field of corn left with the leaf 

 unmolested, will gain more in weight than the 

 value of the fodder pulled — to say nothing of 

 that which should decompose and go to make 

 corn again. It is even a doubtful policy to 

 feed a horse on fodder; for there are more 

 coughs, bellows and such diseases, caused by 

 bad "fodder, than most people are aware of. 

 Oats, hay or shucks are better, because cleaner, 

 and even more nutritious." 



GUANO— AMOUNT USED. 



In our August issue we gave the number of 

 tons of this article inspected in Richmond by 

 Dr. John N. Powell, up to the first of that 

 month, comprehending one quarter. The 

 amount inspected during that time was 7I5| 

 tons. We learn that from August, 1849, to 

 August, 1850, Mr. H. W. Fry sold 1950 tons, 

 all of which was sent from Richmond by rail 

 road, canal and wagons. Much of it was 

 never stored, but taken directly from the ves- 

 sels, so great has been the demand. Mr. Jas. 

 Winston sold 137 tons; Garland & Robinson 

 about 150; Wortham, M'Gruder & Co. 50 

 tons, and other houses smaller lots during the 

 same^eriod. In addition to this, much guano, 

 ordered from the North by individual farmers 



