SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
219 
agricultural library valuable for its daily conversation, 
its cheap and pleasant instruction, and the interest it 
awakens in even the dullest routine of the isolated far- 
mers life. As social companions, books conceived by 
the best minds the world has ever produced, are alike 
above all praise and all price. It would be an improve- 
ment of our home philosophy if it made us think a little 
more of the soul and less of the body, and not dwarf and 
peril the former while we push the latter recklessly into 
an untimely grave. L. 
®articttltnral Itpitratnl. 
STRAWBERRIES. — THEIR CUETURE. — BEST 
Varieties, &c. 
Editors Southern Cui.tivator — Whenever visitors 
from the North happen to sojourn for a little while in the 
Southern States, they are always admiring our beautiful 
climate — a climate like that of Spain and Italy, so often 
praised by poets. They cannot help thinking and say- 
ing, that this is one of the favored garden-spots of the 
earth; that this section ought to produce an abundance of 
the finest fruits and vegetables. Yes, certainly it ought! 
V/hy is it then, that fine fruits are so scarce with os'? 
merely because most people think that it is too much trou- 
ble, or can't be done. 
It is true, such luxuries of life are not raised as easily 
as weeds. But do we not often pay exorbitant prices for 
other luxuries not half so good, nor so wholesome, while 
the luxuries of a garden and orchard can so easily be had 
by a little home industry and perseverance'? 
Most persons are impatient of waiting; they must see 
the results of their labor at once, and procrastinate the 
planting of an orchard of fine Apples, Pears, &c., because 
they will not wait three or four years for the fruit. 
This excuse, however, will not answer for their neo'lect 
in planting a Strawberry patch, which, when planted in 
the autumn, will come into bearing in G months, and 
never fails to yield a fair crop. Should it even happen, 
that the early flowers are destroyed by late frosts, the 
plants will bloom again, and yield a later crop. 
In fact, there cannot be any excuse for not having a fine 
supply of this delicious and wholesome berry, which 
comes in so early as to open the fruit season. 
In regard to the wholesome qualities of the Strawberry. 
Iwill here quote the words of Mr. Loudon, the highest 
authority in Horticulture; he says: 
“ It consists almost entirely of matter soluble in the 
stomach, and neither there nor when laid in heaps and 
left to rot, does it undergo the acetous fermentation. — 
Hence, it is very nourishing, and may be safely eaten by 
gouty and rheumatic persons." 
Mr. Abercrombie, another high authority, says : “In 
addition to Its flavor, the sub-laced juice has a cooling 
quality, particularly acceptable in summer. Eaten either 
alone, or with sugar and cream, there are few constitu- 
tions with which Strawberries, even when taken in large 
quantities, are found to disagree. Further, they have pro- 
perties which render them, in most conditions of the ani 
mal fi arne, positively salutary, and physicians concur in 
placing them in their small catalogue of pleasant reme- 
dies. 1 hey dissolve the tartarous incrustations of the 
teeth. 1 hey promote perspiration. Persons afflicted 
with the gout have found relief from using them very 
largely ; so have patients in caSes of the stone; and Hi>ff- 
man states that he has known consumptive people cured 
by them.” 
We of the South h^e many advantages over the North 
in raising this delicious fruit, and the directions for plant- 
ing and cultivating the Strawberry heretofore given in the 
Cultivator, by yourselves and correspondents, are so clear 
and perfect that I shall not attempt to say anything in the 
way of improving them. For those persons, however, who 
are yet tyro’s in the business, I would say, that the Straw- 
berry prefers a light sandy soil Hot stable manure should 
not be applied, as it will cause the plant to run too much 
into foliage and vine, without producing much fruit. Well 
decomposed leaf-mould and wood ashes are the best man- 
ures. A thorough subsoiling, two feet deep, will also 
have a very beneficial influence, as it will enable the 
plants to send their roots down where it is cool and moist, 
and thus withstand the effects of our scorching summer’s 
Bun. 
If possible, the Strawberry patch should be located on 
a spot where full control of water can be had, for copious 
waterings during the bearing season will greatly increase 
the produce. 
There are different theories as to the mode of planting 
a Strawberry patch, some persons preferring to plant 
them in beds, and others to have them in rows, 30 inches 
1 between the rows, and the plants 18 inches asunder in 
the row. Either way will do. 
The plants should be kept clear of weeds by stirring 
the soil around them whenever needed. This is done 
best with a pronged-hoe, and the soil should always be 
drawn 1 /J 9 the plants, never from them. To put a ne- 
gro to hoe a Strawberry patch, thrusting his weeding-hoe 
unmercifully into the ground around the plants, thus in- 
juring the roots, and afterwards scraping the soil away 
from the plants, thus exposing the fine roots to the scorch- 
ing sun is a barbarous way, and sure to kill any Straw- 
berry plantation 
The Strawberry, in its wild state, has always a. perfect 
flower. By hybridizing and high culture many of the 
new and fine varieties have become deficient in their 
blossoms. There are two classes, which the Strawberry 
cultivator must know, viz : 1st. Varieties which are 
bisexual or hermaphrodite, with perfect flowers; these are 
more or less productive; and 2d. Pistillate, or fe.male 
blossoms, very productive The first kind is in our cata- 
logues marked with H, while the latter is denoted P. In 
arranging and setting out a Strawberry patch, at least 
every twentieth row should consist of a Hermaphrodite 
variety, thus securing an abundant crop, or if planted in 
beds of 4 feet wide, every third or fourth bed may be 
composed of hermaphrodite varieties — the balance of 
.‘^ome well-tried Pistillate, like Hovey’s Seedling, McAvoy’s 
Superior, &c. 
Having had a great many varieties on trial, I will here 
enumerate such as have proved to be the most desirable 
in this latitude : 
Crirnson Cone (P.) — Above medium size, oblong, deep 
crimson; seeds deeply imbedded; juicy, and with a 
sprighly and rather acid flavor. Very productive and of 
a luxuriant growth. Comes in pretty late. 
Ea.rly Orange (H ) — Medium size,, roundish conical, 
and of a bright orange scarlet color ; pleasant suliactid fla- 
vor, and unquestionably one of the hardiest and iiest va- 
rieties for this latitude, where it will succeed with the 
■^lightest cultivation. Coming in very early, blooming 
and ripening in .suertssion fora long time, it is an excel- 
'ent market fruit, which bears carriage very well. It is a 
much belter impregnator than the Early Sra.rleJ , whichj 
•onsider an inferior variety in every respect. [The Enw- 
'u O'-n.nge stands in the Fruitland Catalogue as “Orange 
Prolific '"] 
Htvey s Seedling (P.)— Very large and fine when pro- 
perly cultivated. Its shape is broad-conical, of a bright 
crimson color, which turns rather dark when fully ripe. 
