176 



PHILADELPHIA, JUNE, 1867. 



^Ej- All CoramuTiications fur the Editor should be addressed, 

 "Thomas Meehan, Germantown, Philadelphia," and Business Let. 

 ters directed to " W. G. P. Brinckloe, Box Philadelphia." 



For Terms of Subscription see second page of cover. 



For Terms of Advertising see page 33. 



Volumes 1, $1 ; 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 unbound,$2 each. 



STRAWBERRIES IN POTS FOR FALL 

 PLANTING. 



It has often been spoken, to the reproach of 

 Americans, that they are too impatient of delay : a 

 "fast people," who would "have the world made 

 in a day." We confess to sympathizing a little 

 with this fast idea. Life is short, and if we can do 

 in one day, what it takes two to do in Europe and 

 do it as well, why not do it, and have the next day 

 for something else? 



But you say you admit the truth if we do do it 

 as well, but this you deny. What you ask, do we 

 gain by planting a large tree in preference to a small 

 one? Many of them die, and you only have to 

 begin and plant little ones, after losing a year in- 

 stead of gaining one. But we may say in reply, 

 many small trees die in transplanting as well as 

 large ones ; nay, more we think in proportion to the 

 number planted, for there being more at stake in a 

 large tree, better talent and skill, and more care is 

 taken in the operation. Large trees moved with pro- 

 per judgment, and by the proper hands, do quite 

 as well as small ones. 



Every one who knows the vicinity of Philadelphia 

 knows this to be a fact, and it is clear to them that 

 a large tree can be as "well done" in removal as a 

 small one can be. In short whether we do or do not do 

 a thing well, is simply to ask whether we do or do 

 not accomplish our aim. A thing poorly done in the 

 eye of an European, with his training and ideas, 

 may be very well done to an American, who has 

 other aims and purposes. 



We know that it is unpopular to say anything in 

 favor of large trees or strong plants. The feeling 

 is so overwhelming in favor of "waiting for small 

 trees to grow," that one runs the danger of being 

 "written down an ass" by the horticultural dogber- 

 rles of the day ; but we are not accustomed to 

 weigh what we shall say in the scale of popularity, 

 when we find facts giving the better measure, for 

 public opinion is like the private individual, who 

 finds out in time to go where it is best served. 



't 



Allowing therefore our sympathy with the "fast," 

 who, granting the pleasure of seeing things grow, 

 are yet impatient to eat the fruit, we will now 

 suggest that it is not at all necessary to wait two 

 years to get a heavy crop of strawberries, if you are 

 only wilhng to pay a little more for "big plants; ' ' and 

 bear in mind that this "paying a little" more is a 

 very important part of the bargain. Sympathizing 

 with those who want "large things," we have no- 

 thing in common with those who want them at the 

 price of little things ; and we really think it is this 

 which makes nurserymen generally care not to inter- 

 est themselves in the large tree business, as it brings 

 much trouble, and little corresponding profit to 

 them. 



In regard to the strawberries, a prominent grower 

 said to us last fall, be would not sell any strawberry 

 runners in fall to plant early, as was recommended 

 in all the Agricultural journals, because digging up 

 the primary runner he destroyed the three, four, or 

 a dozen which would follow; and he really gave for 

 a dollar and half, not merely the one hundred plants, 

 but the three, four or twelve hundred that would 

 follow if it remained on his hands; and "he added," 

 the people will pay me no more for them, "and if 

 I attempt to charge it, they raise the mad dog cry 

 of a dear place to go to buy." "If," he continued, 

 "you public educators would but help the people to 

 understand that good things cost money, we could 

 help you, by supplying the good things they would 

 want." And we "made note of this," and now 

 proceed to advise nurserymen generally to keep on 

 hand a supply of strawberries in pots, cautioning 

 the public however that the idea "will cost money." 



As soon as your first runners appear, get small 2- 

 inch pots filled with rich earth, and bury them 

 under the runners — burying the thread so as to bring 

 the young germ under the surface of the soil in the 

 pot — and pick off the runner that would start ahead 

 of it. By the early part of September these small 

 pots will be well filled with roots, when they can be 

 taken up, and taken out of pots and sent to any part 

 of the Union and planted ; and, dry weather or wet, 

 be set so as to produce a full crop the next year. 

 Such plants should be worth forty or fifty dollars a 

 thousand, — but we are quite sure there are thou- 

 sands who would willingly pay the price near all our 

 large cities, if they could only feel sure they would 

 have a year's time by so doing. 



Although it is well known that Strawberries must 

 be set out early in fall in order to get any crop at all 

 the next season, how very few are there who get 

 them to grow, except regular small-fruit growers. 

 The soil is loosely dug, and the plants have to be 



