norbitan’s giant. 
to 1800 bushels .per acre. We know of 
swine breeders who winter their breeding 
«ows almost entirely upon these roots, find¬ 
ing them the cheapest possible food for 
this purpose. As to varieties, when class¬ 
ed by their relative shapes there are three 
types, the globe, half long or ovoid, and 
^.nd long. In color there is red, yellow, 
and white. The globe or half-long varie¬ 
ties are generally selected for sandy soils 
and the long red for very rich upland. 
wisdom Prom the catalogues. 
The various nursery and seed catalogues 
which reach our table contain some of the 
anost timely and valuable notes on garden¬ 
ing to be found anywhere, and they are 
written by practical working men who 
know just what they are talking about. 
Under the above heading we shall give 
from time to time a re-print from these 
sources. 
Strawberries. — Geo. L. Miller—A well- 
kept strawberry bed is an ornament to 
any garden, and the labor required to keep 
it in order is a pleasant pastime, when one 
kas in mind the rich treat in store for him. 
Any ordinary soil will grow strawberries, 
though the richer it is made the larger the 
fruit. Thoroughly enrich with any fertil¬ 
izer at your command; good barnyard ma¬ 
nure well rotted is perhaps the best. Plow 
or spade deep, but do not bring up any 
subsoil; then rake or harrow until well 
pulverized; spread the roots when planting, 
and press soil firmly around plant; if tight 
enough to permit the pulling of a leaf-stalk 
without loosening the plant, it is almost 
sure to grow. 
We prefer planting in the spring as early 
as the ground will permit, but pot-grown 
plants, set in August or September, will 
produce a good crop the next season. For 
garden culture, the most convenient 
method is to plant in beds four feet 
wide, three rows in each bed, and plant one 
foot apart in the row. A pathway two 
feet wide should be left between the beds 
so that the fruit may be easily picked and 
the beds kept clean without stepping on 
them. Cover lightly in winter with corn¬ 
stalks or some coarse litter, rake off in the 
spring, dress the beds, and mulch with the 
same litter or short grass from the lawn. 
Plant a new bed every year, spade under 
after the second crop, and so insure plenty 
of berries, and evade unsightly beds. 
For field culture, we plant in rows three 
feet apart, and from fiifteen inches to two 
feet apart in the row, according to habit of 
growth; but do not remove the covering 
until after fruiting season. 
Our plan, we think it is as expeditious as 
any we know of, is to mark off the rows 
with a horse and narrow shovel-plow, open¬ 
ing a furrow three or four inches deep; a 
boy follows, dropping the plants; others 
come after and set them, spreading the 
rOAts and making firm by pressing earth 
against them from opposite sides with the 
hands. Only two or three rows are qpened 
at a time, so that fresh soil is always put 
next to the roots At close of day’s plant¬ 
ing, the two-horse roller is run over all, 
horses walking between rows. In a few 
days the one-horse cultivator, going twice 
to a row, fills up what is left of the furrow, 
and dressing around plants with the hoe 
makes all smooth. Varieties having im¬ 
perfect blossoms— i. e., destitute of sta¬ 
mens—are termed pistillate, and should be 
planted near staminate sorts to produce per¬ 
fect fruit. To this class belong some of 
