i.SOJ.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Q45 
Fig. 1 -AUSTIN SEEDLING STRAWBERRY. 
Nice Strawberries for 75 cts. a Bushel. 
Mr. Pardee says, large, nice, delicious straw¬ 
berries can be grown for 50 cts. a bushel. Others 
put the cost at $1 per bushel. Both parties are 
right, for under some circumstances of soil, lo¬ 
cality, etc., they can be produced as low as 50 cts. 
per bushel, while under other circumstances the 
cost may be more than $1. But judging from 
our own experience, and from considerable in¬ 
quiry and observation, we think the average cost 
of the large improved strawberries need not be 
over 75 cents per bushel. We have found no dif¬ 
ficulty in getting a bushel to the half rod, in gar¬ 
den culture, and he must be a very poor cultiva¬ 
tor, or have a soil not fit for any crop, who 
could not get a hushel from a square rod. The 
time required to attend a rod of ground ought 
not to exceed 50 or 75 cents a year. 
Plants of the better kinds are now so abundant 
that the cost of the small number required to 
start a bed is hardly to be taken into the account. 
A dozen thrifty plants, well set out in the latter 
part of August, or fore part of September, will 
sometimes furnish a considerable number of new' 
plants for Spring setting; and during the follow¬ 
ing season they will yield some fruit, and by Au¬ 
tumn, plants enough to supply a neighborhood 
(From ten plants set May 1st, we had 600 to 700 
plants in Autumn, and after parting with 300 the 
next Spring, the remainder multiplied to full 
10,000 by the Autumn following.) Some kinds 
multiply much more rapidly than others. 
Cultivation. —This is no more difficult than 
that of corn or potatoes. The whole directions 
may be compassed in a few words : Dig the soil 
deep; manure it well with rotten manure ; set 
out the plants with as much care as is required 
for cabbage plants ; afterwards keep the weeds 
out; remove the runners when they set too thick¬ 
ly; and—pick the berries. Of course a good soil 
yields better plants and berries than a poor one. 
A moist, but not wet soil is preferable. If you 
have plenty of plants, set them a foot to eighteen 
apart, and keep them well thinned. Just 
plants enough to nearly cover the ground will 
yield more and better berries, than a crowded 
mass of vines and leaves. Jf you have but few 
choice plants, set them two or three feet apart, 
and let them fill up the space. Early in Spring is 
the best time to set out plants, but you will save a 
year, now, by planting in the latter part of Summer, 
or early in Autumn. If to be carried far, the 
cooler weather after the 10th of September is 
best; but when to be out of the ground only a short 
time, a day or so, they can be moved at any time. 
Take them up with as little breakage of roots as 
possible, dig large holes, pour in a quart or two 
of water, put the roots in the water, fill up with 
good soil, letting the top half inch of filling be 
dry earth to prevent surface baking, set the 
crown or head a trifle above the level of the bed, 
and keep the soil off from it. By following this 
method, we have moved strawberry plants during 
every summer month, and with little or no loss, 
and but slightly checking the growth. 
Best Varieties. —There are a number of im¬ 
proved varieties of strawberries, any one of which 
is vastly superior to the common wild kinds. It 
is desirable to have in every garden as many as 
two or three kinds, to give variety, and also 
a longer bearing season. For a single sort, 
everything considered, we should recommend 
Wilson's Albany Seedling. This is a large, beauti¬ 
ful berry, a great bearer, endures carriage well, 
and is now so abundant that the plants can be 
got almost everywhere for $1 to $1.50 per 
100. It is rather too acid for our liking, but 
the prolific bearing makes up for the extra sugar 
required. Next to the Wilson’s Albany, we like 
Hooker's Seedling. On our grounds this is a free 
grower, bears very well, is a pretty large berry, 
and the flavor is excellent. It has done better 
with us this year than ever before. Jenny Lind. 
About the same may he said of this as of the 
Hooker, though it does not bear quite as freely. 
The above are all “perfect plants,” and require 
no other kind to fertilize them. Honey's Seedling. 
This is a beautiful berry, long known, and in many 
localities has given excellent satisfaction. It is 
a good market berry, as, from its size, form, and 
color, it makes a fine show. It is a pistillate, and 
therefore requires some statninate or perfect kind 
growing near, to fertilize it. Longworth's Pro¬ 
lific, a “ perfect variety,” is a free grower, bears 
abundantly ; berry 
large, but not equal 
to Wilson’s Al¬ 
bany in productive¬ 
ness, beauty of form, 
and not superior to 
it in flavor. Pea¬ 
body's Seedling still 
continues to do well 
with us, and we 
know’ of several per¬ 
sons who place it in 
the highest rank. 
We like its fine pine 
flavor so well that 
we should be loth to part with it; but in most 
places its reputation for poor bearing is such, that 
we can not recommend it for general culture. 
We have a dozen other varieties in cultivation, 
but are not yet prepared to positively recommend 
any of them to those who grow strawberries for 
their own use only. The foreign sorts, Trol¬ 
lope's Victoria, Triomphe de Gand, and a few 
others promise well. Those above named will fur¬ 
nish 3 sufficient variety of good, well tried kinds. 
“The Austin Shaker Seedling." —Among the 
new’ varieties offered to the public this year, is the 
one bearing this name. The claims of the propa¬ 
gators were pretty fully set forth in our advertis¬ 
ing columns, in June and July, to which we refer 
the reader. The 
proprietors are 
doubtless consci¬ 
entious in the be¬ 
lief that this vari¬ 
ety surpasses all 
others—at least 
they have mani¬ 
fested their sin¬ 
cerity hy their 
method of bring¬ 
ing it before the 
public, as they 
have promised to 
consider no or¬ 
ders binding until all persons ordering have seen 
the plants and berries, and become satisfied as to 
their merits. According to announcement, both 
the plants and fruit, (tw’o fresh supplies per 
week,) have been on exhibition at our office since 
June 18th. We have sketched, and engraved, on 
a reduced scale, the first plant exhibited here. 
Several of the leaves are omitted to show’ the 
fruit, and only one fruit stalk is represented. Figs. 
2 and 3 are exact sketches of the size and form 
of two average sized berries taken from the fir; t 
lot of fruit. Those since sent in have averaged 
larger. An intelligent friend who has recently 
visited Waterviiet, tells us that all the berries on 
the entire plot of £ acre, will average larger 
than these here shown. The plant is hermaph¬ 
rodite or perfect, very thrifty, the leaves large, 
and the fruit-stem strong and tall, which are very 
desirable qualities. The color is light scarlet, 
which is also in its favor. Judging from what 
we have seen, and from the reports of unpreju¬ 
diced friends who have, partly at our request, 
Fig. 2. 
Fig 3. 
