^ THE SOUTUEHN PLANTER. 



527 



i;rapery, smooth the surface, and cover over 

 the roots so as to form a small mound around 

 each stem, which may afterwards bo shortened 

 down to two or three buds. When these buds 

 have grown some two or three inches, take out 

 all but the strongest. Train this carefully to 

 the wires or poles as it advances in growth, 

 and pinch out the laterals or side shoots to the 

 first leaf as they continue to be produced. If 

 the w^eather bo dry and hot througii the sum- 

 mer months, mulch the ground witli littery rna- 

 iiure, and give occasionally a copious supply of 

 water to the roots. Do not stop the leader 

 until the wood begins to turn brown in the 

 fall. 



One of the best methods for future training, 

 outside, is to conduct two shoots horizontally, 

 one on each side of the main stem, and eigh- 

 teen inches from the ground level. This may 

 be secured for the present by cutting down to 

 two buds above that height. These, in the 

 spring, will push out the desired branches, 

 which may be allowed to grow as the single 

 one did last, year. Next fall, cut them in, to 

 four or six feet, according as they have grown 

 strong, or the reverse. The third year from 

 commencement they will develop side shoots, 

 which are to be trained up perpendicularly to 

 the trillis at the distance of eighteen inches 

 apart. More than enough will be produced, 

 the surplus of which should be rubbed off as 

 soon as it can be seen which are the most suit- 

 able to leave. One bunch of fruit may now 

 be allovi^ed on each of these uprights without 

 injury. The following foil, every alternate 

 cane is to be cut down to one bud, the others 

 being shortened in to five or six feet, and left 

 to bear. And now begins a regular course of 

 pruning. Those that have borne the last year 

 are to be cut down to an eye, and the others 

 that have emanated from the previ ous single 

 bud left for fruiting next year. It may also be 

 mentioned that a greater longitudinal surface 

 can be gained in after years by extending the 

 horizontal branches in like manner. 



Michigan Farmer. 



From the New York Observer. 



A Chapter on Strawberries. 



^ The best season for making summer planta- 

 tions of this delicious fruit is near at hand. 

 Those who neglected to plant in the spring, 

 and have been regretting such neglect, should 

 now make thorough preparations for planting 

 during the month of August. It is important 

 that you make selections of the best varieties 

 in cultivation. It will cost no more to grow 

 the best than it will the most inferior. 



We have recently visited some of the best 

 fruit gardens in Connecticut, for the purpose of 

 examining tlie strawberry crop. We are sur- 

 prised to fine this crop so rapidly increasing, 

 and the great number of varieties already un- 

 der cultivation. In the villages and cities in 

 the eastern part of the State, where nothing 



but the small berries of the New York market 

 were seen five years ago, you now find an 

 abundant supply fresh from the neighbouring 

 gardens, and at prices so low as to put them 

 within the reach of all. Even at the lowest 

 prices they ever bring, they are f )und to be 

 one of the best crops the horticulturist caa 

 grow, and many of the farmers are beginning 

 to make their ventures in the business. 



Deacon A. vSmith, of Lebanon, was among 

 the first to introduce this crop in that town, 

 and now a large quantity are grown there for 

 the Boston market, as well as for the supply of 

 the home demand. They cultivate here prin- 

 cipally the Hoveifs Seedling, Virginia Scarlet, 

 and Boston Pine, varieties that were very pop- 

 ular eight or ten years ago. The soil in this 

 region is very moist, and abundantly furnished 

 with vegetable matter. It is admirably adapt- 

 ed to this fruit, and good crops are realized on 

 any land that will grow good corn. This town 

 also grows considerable quantities of peaches 

 of excellent quality. The trees are much 

 longer lived than in Jersey, frequently contin- 

 uing twelve or fifteen years. The pear also 

 flourishes here, and a variety called the Sum- 

 mer Virgalien or Lebanon Fear, is raised in 

 large quantities. It is about the size of the 

 Bartlett, and though less showy in appearance, 

 is scarcely inferior to it in quality. It has a 

 saccharine, aromatic taste, that many would 

 prefer to the Bartlett. It is not yet much 

 known to the public, and has not been propa- 

 gated extensively out of New London county. 



In Colchester, strawberry culture is yet in 

 its infoncy. E. Carpenter has some fine beds 

 of the Longworth' s Prolijic, and Walker's Seed- 

 ling. He prefers the first on account of its size, 

 the latter for its high pine flavour and richness. 

 Hoveg's Seedling is in favour, and is sometimes 

 sold as low as fifteen cents a quart. 



Norwich is the largest market for this fruit 

 in the countr3^ A large number of varieties 

 are brought in from the neighbouring towns, 

 and a still larger number are cultivated in the 

 private gardens. We have never found this 

 fruit in greater perfection than in the gardens 

 of this city. 



The old fiivourite, Hoveg's Seedling, and its 

 mate the Virginia Scarlet, is still retained by 

 many, though it has formidable rivals in some 

 of the new varieties. It does better here than 

 in any other region where we have observed it. 

 Dr, Daniel T. Cuit has one of the largest and 

 best gardens in the county, and his strawberry 

 beds this year present a magnificent appear- 

 ance. With him the Longworih's Frolijic is a 

 great favourite for size, productiveness and 

 quality. At I. N. Perkins' we found the 

 River's Eliza, which is the first English straw- 

 berry we have ever known to succeed well in 

 our climate. We noticed it in several other 

 gardens, and in every instance it surpassed all 

 others for size and productiveness. The plants 

 were loaded with very large berries, three, four 



