126 
July, 1890. 
/ ORC H RRd'/»nd \ GRRDEN \ 
Summer Treatment of the Strawberry 
Bed. 
In considering the source of our supply 
of strawberries for another year, we must 
not forget that the new plants of this sea- 
son's growth will bear abundantly next 
year, if not checked too greatly by removal 
now: and that as a general thing it is much 
less trouble to set out a new bed in July 
than to clean out the old one. When we 
have a supply of plants on the place, run- 
ning and rooting themselves in the soil.it is 
an easy matter to take them up and remove 
them to new quarters with the soil adher- 
ing to the roots, but when no such supply 
exists at home and it is necessary to send 
to the nursery for plants, polted plants 
must be obtained if we are to have the fruit 
next season. 
In many cases however it will pay to 
clean out the bed that has just yielded up 
its luscious berries to us, provided it be not 
too old: that is to say, has not borne more 
than one or two crops. After the weeds 
have been taken out, the rows should receive 
a topdressing of well rotted cow manure 
and the soil between the rows loosened up. 
To obtain the best results in a final crop 
from such a bed, the runners should be kept 
lopped off as they appear, and the plants not 
allowed to thus waste their vigor. 
One of the easiest methods of treating an 
old strawberry bed and one which will give 
good results iu fruiting time, is to manure 
heavily the soil between the rows and then 
turn it over with the spade. Comb out the 
runners that they may root in the loose soil 
between the rows and when the space is 
well tilled and the young plants are firmly 
rooted and established, spade under the 
rows of old plants. You have thus vviih 
little trouble, what is virtually an entirely 
new plantation. 
Amoug tlie Newer Straw berries— I 890. 
As so many strawberries have been 
introduced during the last few years, I shall 
be obliged to make my notes brief — so brief, 
in fact, that several which have gained but 
little popularity, I shall omit entirely. 
Miami has proved of little value, being de- 
cidedly unproductive. The few berries it 
produced were, however, of good size and 
quality. 
Eureka is valuable. The berries are not 
only of good size and handsome but the 
plant is vigorous, a good grower and exceed- 
ingly prolific. ' An improvement upon the 
Haviland. which is saying a good deal. 
Stay-man’s No. 1 lias a good growing 
plant, but not productive, and the berries 
are not large, handsome nor of high quality. 
Of no special value, either for the amateur or 
market grower. 
C'LINGTO is something like Glendale, but 
not so good. Without value at Monmouth. 
Bu bach’s No 1 32 proves to be very like 
Sharpless, in both plant and fruit, but no 
better in any way. 
Bubach's No 24 is a strong growing, 
healthy plant, but produces very few ber- 
ries, and these are small. Not worthy of 
culture. 
Jucunda Improved , as indicated by the 
name, is an improvement upon the grand 
old Jucunda, especially in vigor and growth 
of plant. 
Hatfield is an early, nice lierry, but the 
plant is feeble and unproductive. The ber- 
ries are of good size and high quality. On 
rich, heavy land it might be valuable to the 
amateur as an early sort 
Crawford proves very T large, handsome 
and fairly productive, but, like all of Mr. 
Crawford and Mr Durand’s varieties thus 
far introduced, must have rich, heavy soil. 
Porter. A most rampant growing plant 
but that is about all that can be said in its 
favor, as the fruit is very little, aud there 
is very T little of it. 
Gem is a variety from Iowa not yet intro- 
duced. A grand sort for the amateur, rival- 
ing the Jucunda in beauty; very prolific, of 
superior quality and the plant a much 
better grower. It requires well-enriched 
soil, however. 
Miller’s Seedling. A marvelous grow- 
ing plant but unproductive and the berries 
are small, of poor color and soft. Without 
sufficient merit to make it worth growing. 
Lady Rusk. A feeble growing and un- 
productive plant, and I am very sorry to be 
obliged to record, is without value at Mon- 
mouth. 
Michel’s Early. Very early indeed and 
a vigorous, healthy growing plant but the 
berries are small, poor and scattering. Like 
Hoffman, it would, I think, succeed better 
if at the South. 
Daisy (Zane's) is a valuable sort; a perfect 
plant in health and vigor aud productive. 
Berries of good size, fine appearance, mod- 
erately firm and of good quality. The fruit 
stems are very short, holding the berries to 
the ground, and this is about the only un- 
desirable feature I noticed. An improve- 
ment upon May King and is appropriately 
named, being a veritable “Daisy.” 
Shuster’s Gem stands not only without an 
equal but without a rival for size, beauty and 
productiveness combined. The berries are 
also firm and of delicious quality. Plant a 
strong and vigorous grower, leaving almost 
or quite nothing to be desired, as a main 
crop or midseason berry. 
Pineapple is a possible improvement up- 
on Sharpless. It is similar but is apparent- 
ly more productive, as I have seen it in dif- 
ferent parts of the State and Pennsylvania. 
Cloud Seedling is a most wonderful 
growing plant, excelling the Crescent, and 
quite prolific. It is not, however, so early 
as I expected to find it but the fruit is of fan- 
size, firm and attractive. Like Crescent the 
plant should be kept thinned or it will crowd 
itself out, to the extent of yielding but a 
light crop of berries. 
Louise ( Birpee's ). Beautiful and delic- 
ious. Of value to the amateur, but to the 
amateur only, on account of feebleness of 
plant. 
Warfield No. 2. Larger, handsomer 
and more prolific than Wilson but not so 
firm, Plant vigorous, a good though not 
strong grower. A decidedly valuable mar- 
ket sort for the general grower. 
Gold, like Durand’s varieties, requires 
too much coddling to make it w-orth grow- 
ing, in this busy age of business. 
Pearl is a decided success as an early va- 
riety. Berries large, beautiful and good; 
plant of good vigorous growth and pro- 
ductive. 
Carmichael proves to be an inglorious 
failure. 
Logan. Large, handsome and good but 
plant is of feeble growth and decidedly un- 
productive. 
Gandy or First Season easily distances 
all others, as a late variety. It is not only 
the latest of all by nearly or quite two 
weeks, but is also very large, of beautiful 
appearance, exceedingly firm and of high 
quality; and the plant, perfection itself in 
growth.— J. T. Lovett. 
Strawberries in Louisiana. 
A trustworthy correspondent at Roseland, 
La., says that Miller’s Seedling strawberry 
has not shown valuable qualities there. He 
adds: “The Strickland or Cloud is the best 
all-round berry I ever seen, and I have test- 
ed a good many. The Crescent, so valuable 
in many other places, is worthless here. 
Strawberries here, begin to ripen in March, 
and we have them now; whilst there are 
some even in blossom.” 
Tlie Crandall Currant. 
The Crandall Currant was spoken well of 
by the U. S. Pomologist at the Nurserymen's 
Convention. This is a new variety of the 
wild Missouri currant ( Ribes aureum) origi- 
nating in Kansas and it lias proved more 
productive and bears larger fruit than any 
of the wild varieties of this species thus far 
tested. Mr. VanDemaneays of it: “Branch- 
es of the plant that I have seen have been 
invariably loaded with fruit, and in my es- 
timation too heavily loaded; many of the 
berries were one-half inch in diameter, and 
some even larger, and intensely black. I 
have eaten the fruit, both in its cooked and 
uncooked state, and although in my opinion 
it is not equal in quality to some of our best 
varieties of the cultivated curranr, it is far 
better than any of the black currants of Eu- 
rope, having no strong odor or unpleasant 
taste. It is well adapted for sauces, pies, 
jellies, and other preparations usually made 
of fruit. The plant grows to a height of 
four feet or more and is well suited to the 
changeable climatic conditions of Kansas, 
Iowa, and Nebraska, and I think of the re- 
gion even farther north, as I never heard of 
its having been winter-killed, though varie- 
ties of this species are to be found growing 
wild in many of the Northwestern States 
and Territories. No insect enemies have 
been found to defoliate it, and in the East- 
ern States, v\ here the ravages of the Currant 
Worm are disastrous to the common cur- 
rant and gooseberry, the Crandall has thus 
far escaped. 
Keep the cultivator going in the fruit 
garden as -well as among the vegetables, 
