52 HENDERSON'S GARDEN GUIDE AND RECORD. 



Stra\A/^berries and Other Small Fruits, 



BRIEF DIRECTIONS for their CULTURE in GARDENS 



STRAWBERRIES ; When to Plant. Ordinary "ground layers " carried over winter 

 in coldframes are procurable in spring and may then be set out, the earlier the better. 

 Pot-grown plants may be grown or purchased during late summer and autumn. If set 

 out not later than September they will bear a good crop the succeeding season. Straw- 

 berries require richly manured, well-tilled soil; the plants should be set 15 inches apart, 

 in rows 2 feet apart; 100 plants will plant 4 rows, 30 feet long; an acre requires 14,520 

 plants if set at the above distance, but for horse cultivation they should be set 2 feet apart, 

 in rows 3 feet apart, requiring 7,200 plants for an acre. Firm the plants well in the soil, 

 keep thoroughly cultivated and cut off all runners. In the middle of December cover 

 the beds to a depth of 3 inches with salt meadow hay, straw or leaves. In April as soon 

 as the plants show an indication of growth, push the covering away from the plants to 

 allow them to come up through. This "mulching" protects the plants from the cold in 

 winter and the heat in summer, keeps the fruit clean, and prevents the growth of weeds. 



PERFECT versus IMPERFECT Flowering Strawberries. The blossoms of straw- 

 berries are either staminate (perfect flowering) or are destitute of stamens and are termed 

 pistillate (imperfect flowering). Pistillate varieties must have a row of some perfect 

 flowered sort flowering at the same time planted every nine or twelve feet apart among 

 them, or better yet, every third or fourth plant in the row, to pollenize their blossoms. 

 When properly pollenized the pistillate varieties are usually the most prohfic. 



HARDY GRAPES may be planted any time while they are dormant and the ground 

 is free from frost, which in this section is generally from the first of November to December, 

 and the first of April to May. The soil best suited for the growing of the hardy Grapes 

 is what is known as a light, rich loam. If the drainage is not perfect naturally, it must be 

 supphed by draining artificially. In preparing the ground for Grape vines, a hole should 

 be dug at least two feet deep and wide, and the bottom filled in with rubble so as to secure 

 drainage. The soil should be well enriched with manure, and in planting, the roots should 

 be spread in a lateral direction and at least four inches under the surface. After planting, 

 the ground must be thoroughly firmed with the feet around the plant and a good watering 

 given. 



For family use, the best method of training and pruning is what is known as the "spur"' 

 system. On receiving the vines from the nursery, they may consist of one or more shoots, 

 but on planting them they should be cut back to two or three eyes or buds and, when they 

 start to grow, all the buds should be rubbed off except one, selecting the strongest and, as 

 far as possible, the one nearest to the ground. Train this shoot perpendicularly to a stake, 

 and in the fall, when the leaves drop, cut back to about a foot from the ground. When the 

 vine starts the following year, rub off all eyes or buds except two, of the strongest and nearest 

 to the ground; these wiU form two canes, and should reach a height of ten or twelve feet: 

 in the fall, when the leaves drop, these should be cut back to about four feet, and laid 

 down on the ground; when cold weather sets in, cover them with four or five inches of 

 leaves or litter. In the spring, before the buds sweU, the canes should be trained hori- 

 zontally, one to the right, the other to the left. As the vines should be planted eight feet 

 apart, this will make the arms of the proper length, and upright growths will spring from 

 the canes thus laid down; not more than eight should be allowed to grow, and they should 

 be selected so as to be about a foot apart. The height of these upright growths may be 

 regulated according to the height of the arbor, fence or building where they are planted, 

 anywhere from three to fifteen feet will answer. Vines thus treated may be allowed to 

 produce a few bunches the third year, and by the sixth year may be fruited to the height 

 of ten or twelve feet, if the \Tnes are trained that high; if they are grown lower, they ought 

 to mature every bunch set. As the fruit is always borne on the lateral branches, not more 

 than two bunches should be allowed to remain on each branch and. unless the vine is very 

 gtrong, not more than one bunch should be allowed. 



