Q43 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
L-ilUGUST, 
success, that it is worth the experiment. Order 
them only of reliable persons, who will take 
proper care in putting them up well. Dealers 
•will generally pack two dozen plants of any such 
good kinds as are now abundant, and send them 
post-paid anywhere for a dollar, or even less if 
under 1,500 miles, and these will multiply to 
•hundreds the next year. 
It is now nearly time to look out for a supply 
•of plants. When not to he carried far, it will 
do to begin to put out plants any time.after the 
middle of August, or before, if the new runners 
have become well established. The sooner 
they can be got to growing this year, the larger 
and better will be the supply of fruit next sea¬ 
son. If to go far, especially if by mail, it is best 
to wait for the cool weather of September, or 
even the first of October, before taking up the 
plants. We have obtained fruit the following 
season from plants set as late as November, but 
so late planting is not advisable. 
Cultivate Strawberries in Hills. —Every succes¬ 
sive year’s experience and observation, con¬ 
vinces us that when grown for fruit, it is, as a 
rule, better to put out strawberry plants in hills, 
15 to 20 inches apart, and pinch oif the runners. 
If multiplication is desired, let the runners 
set, but take up the plants as fast as well rooted, 
and put them out in hills. They can then be 
kept hoed almost as easily as corn, and they will 
produce better fruit and more of it than if al¬ 
lowed to run in a tangled mass or thick mat. 
Soil and Manure. —Strawberries will grow on 
any soil; but like every other plant, they will 
pay for manure, and flourish best on a moder¬ 
ately good loam. On good rich soil, little ma¬ 
nure is needed; but on poor soil apply and dig 
in deeply a fair coating of well rotted manure. 
Eor a clay soil, nothing is better than to lighten 
it up with rotten manure, and a large supply of 
black earth (leaf mold) from the woods, or of 
decayed chips from the wood,pile. If the soil 
be subject to standing water, it should be drained. 
This may be done by throwing it into high 
beds, or cutting deep paths between the beds 
or rows, with an outlet to carry off surplus wa¬ 
ter. A supply of water below 18 inches in 
depth, is rather favorable to the plants. 
But too many specifications will intimidate 
the inexperienced reader, and though for extra 
crops of extra berries, a deep, thoroughly pre¬ 
pared soil is essential, we now desire to sim¬ 
ply impress the fact that with a very trifling 
outlay of time and trouble, every garden may be 
supplied with a good bed of this most excellent 
fruit. They are grown about as easily as com. 
We repeat: Good strawberries can be readily grown 
for 64 cents a bushel , (1 cent a pint!) 
Winter Protection. —In localities where the soil 
is subject to much freezing and thawing, it is 
desirable to throw over the plots, at the begin¬ 
ning of winter, a coat of loose straw or leaves— 
not enough to smother the plants, or to prevent 
their being frozen, but merely to keep them 
from frequent alternate freezing and thawing. 
Leaves are not so good as straw, as the former 
mat down and smother the plants more. As 
good a plan as any, if not the best, is to spread 
loose straw all over the plants, in November or 
December, and in Spring simply move the cov¬ 
ering from the tops of the plants, and let it lie 
on the ground around them, where it will 
smother weeds, keep the ground moist, prevent 
the soiling of the fruit by rains dashing up the 
earth, and by its gradual decay furnish manure. 
What Kinds to Plant .—There are two hundred 
or more named varieties of strawberries, all of 
which are readily distinguished by some peculi¬ 
arity of form, color, shape of leaf and stem, etc. 
Many of them are comparatively worthless; 
others have proved good generally, and are 
widely known; while a number of new sorts, 
which are doubtless of superior excellence, are 
not yet widely known, *and are comparatively 
scarce and high priced. These last should be 
secured by the amateur, and those having facili¬ 
ties for testing and cultivating many kinds ; but 
the great mass of farmers and villagers desire 
only a few well proved sorts for the garden plot, 
for home use. Were one of this class to send 
to us to procure for him, say 50 plants, we 
should forward about 20 of Triomphe de Gand ; 
12 of Wilson’s Albany; 12 of Hooker’s Seed¬ 
ling, and for the rest, one or two each of such 
newer extra sorts as we could best obtain. Such 
an assortment ought to be boxed and sent any 
where by mail, post-paid , for one dollar. 
The Triomphe de Gand is a large, beautiful ber¬ 
ry, of superior flavor, and so far as we can see 
and hear, the plant is a vigorous grower and 
prolific bearer. The Wilson is a splendid bear¬ 
er, and the berries large and beautiful; but it 
is too sour for eating without plenty of sugar. 
Hooker's Seedling is also a fine fruit, and of ex¬ 
cellent flavor. It is said to be not quite so liardy 
as some others, though it has maintained its 
ground well with us. It originated at Roches¬ 
ter, N. Y., and should not be tender in that lati¬ 
tude or further South. Both the Triomphe de 
Gand and the Hooker have suffered less here 
than the Wilson, from extreme cold and dry 
weather. For market purposes, where a large 
supply of handsome fruit is the chief object, 
the Wilson may be best; but for our eating we 
prefer either of the other two named. 
[Explanation. —The above came from the Editor in 
Chief, who is away “ at home,” for the time being, doubt¬ 
less feasting on a bountiful supply of a dozen sorts of fine 
strawberries, with sugar and plenty of home-made cream 
to match, and under the inspiration of which he probably 
wrote the above earnest advice. At the same time we 
have the article below, from our worthy Associate Editor 
residing in Central New-York, who also speaks from 
long experience, we believe. As the subject is impor¬ 
tant this month, we print both articles, thus giving our 
readers the advice of two competent editors, who reside 
200 miles apart, and who each write without the knowl¬ 
edge of the other, and of course without consultation.— 
Office Associates .] 
A New Strawberry Patch. 
As a matter of course, everybody who can, 
means to have a strawberry bed of his own. 
Even if he can buy his berries in market cheap¬ 
er than he could raise them, who would not pre¬ 
fer nice, fresh fruit just plucked from his own 
vines, to the crushed half-fermented masses 
brought a long distance in baskets or boxes, or 
spooned out from tubs of questionable neatness, 
which are so often offered for sale at the corner 
grocery. They who eat only the latter article, 
know little of the rich flavor and delicious aro¬ 
ma of strawberries fresh from the vines. 
This is a healthy fruit, the doctors tell us, 
when eaten in reasonable quantities—remem¬ 
bering the old rule: “ gold in the morning, 
silver at noon, and lead at night.” The doctors, 
when honest, tell us likewise, that strawberries 
“ smothered in cream ” are more fashionable and 
palatable than healthy, and they advise us to 
eat them fresh, and mixed with nothing but 
morning dew. Hear old Abercrombie: “ This 
fruit is very nourishing, and may be safely eaten 
by gouty and rheumatic persons. Its sub-acid 
juice has a cooling quality, particularly accept¬ 
able in Summer. Physicians concur in placing 
it in their small catalogue of pleasant remedies. 
It dissolves the tartarous incrustations on the 
teeth, and promotes perspiration. It gives relief 
in cases of stone, and Hoffman states that he 
has known consumptive people cured by them.” 
Thus fortified, let us go out and make our 
strawberry bed. Spring is, on some accounts, 
the best season for starting new beds. The plants 
are then springing into vigorous growth, the 
ground and the atmosphere are moist, and the 
heat of the sun is less intense than in mid-sum¬ 
mer. But, on the other hand, if a bed can be 
well established in August, it is quite sure to fur¬ 
nish a fair crop the first season afterward. 
Preparation of the Soil. —Opinions differ as to 
the kind of soil best suited to the strawberry. 
Some insist that there is no need of enriching or 
deepening it at all. Probably those who suc¬ 
ceed under such management, have ground that 
is naturally deep and fertile. Where the soil is 
light and thin, heavy mulching or frequent wa¬ 
tering should be resorted to. Where it is natur¬ 
ally strong and then is heavily manured with 
rank stable manure, the plants make a luxuriant 
growth of leaves, to the loss of fruit. After con¬ 
siderable observation and experience, we are 
satisfied that those gardeners who succeed best 
in the long run, do trench and enrich their soils. 
A favorite method is this : Suppose a bed is to 
be made, sixteen feet long and four and a half or 
five feet wide. Begin at one end, and uncover 
a piece of ground five feet square, removing the 
top soil in a wheel-barrow to the side of the 
further end of the bed. Now, wheel in a bar- 
row load of old manure or compost, spread it 
over the lower spit and spade it in, mixing the 
same thoroughly. Then uncover another por¬ 
tion of the bed, five feet square, throwing the 
top soil back upon the ground already manured. 
Enrich this second lower spit like the first, 
and then cover it as before, so proceeding until 
the other end of the bed is reached, and the 
subsoil of the whole is manured. Cover the 
last five feet square, with the soil taken off from 
the bed at the beginning. The top layer will 
probably need a little enriching. Treat it with 
a compost of well-rotted manure, largely mixed 
with leaf-mold and ashes. If the soil is natural¬ 
ly stiff with clay, sand should be added. This 
having been well incorporated, rake the ground 
smooth, draw your garden line and shape the 
sides of the bed handsomely. Such a bed will 
last for several years. 
Planting .—Those who cultivate on a large scale, 
will set their vines 2£ feet apart in rows, and 
cultivate the ground with horse and hoe. But 
for garden culture, sixteen inches apart is enough, 
and three rows in a bed, with alleys eighteen 
inches wide between the beds, for convenience 
in hoeing, weeding, and picking. Those who 
want to raise their fruit with the least possible 
pains, and who care less for the quality than 
the quantity, will allow their vines to run and 
cover the beds. They who care something for 
the neat and orderly look of their gardens, and 
who want large and handsome fruit, will keep 
their plants in hills, or at least in regular rows. 
The runners must, therefore, be clipped several 
times during the Summer. Of course, when 
plants are wanted for starting new beds, the run¬ 
ners must be allowed to increase. 
In making new plantations at this season of 
the year, considerable care must be used. If 
possible, choose a cloudy or showery day for 
transplanting. If such weather does not turn 
up at the desired time, then follow the rule we 
have often given for setting out tomato and cab¬ 
bage plants. Provide a bucket or two of tepid 
water, dig the holes with a trowel or spade, pour¬ 
ing into each half a pint of water. When it has 
