i 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
A DISH EVERYBODY WOULD LIKE, AND EVERYBODY MIGHT HAVE. 
Wo give an engraving of a sketch presented to us by Mrs. G. W. Huntsman of Flushing, (fiom her own pencil.) 
The amateur will recognize it as a verv accurate drawing of the “ British Queen. ' and we regret that the pleasure 
of looking at such a " mouth-watering ” picture, is lessened by the fact that this variety of Strawberry has failed to 
be very productive in this country. But there are other varieties, elsewhere referred to, which will furnish an abun¬ 
dant yield of fruit as luscious and as desirable as the one here shown. 
CHAPTERS ON STRAWBERRIES. 
CHAPTER IV. 
This month is, in the Middle States, the 
most suitable time to plant strawberries. 
And when, with but little labor, such deli¬ 
cious fruit can be obtained in abundance, 
few of our readers possessing gardens, who 
have not already attended to its culture, will, 
we think, delay any longer to add this to 
their other luxuries. Some complain of the 
trouble to keep strawberry beds from being 
run over with weeds and grass. With pro¬ 
per modes of culture, and a little care at. the 
right time, this labor may be greatly re¬ 
duced. 
The first, requisite, in order to obtain a 
plentiful supply of good fruit, is a thorough 
preparation of the ground. The strawberry 
needs abundance of moisture during the 
fruiting season. To meet this want, the 
ground should be trenched at least two feet 
deep, and well enriched with barn-yard ma¬ 
nure. Concentrated fertilizers are not so 
suitable, as they do not effect that mechani¬ 
cal division of the soil, which is a condition 
of obtaining moisture in dry weather. Such 
a preparation is more reliable than a de¬ 
pendence upon artificial watering, which is 
seldom done in a manner to be of much 
benefit.. When the ground will permit, the 
roots of the strawberry extend down, in 
search of food and moisture, to the depth of 
four feet. Almost any good garden soil will 
produce this fruit, if well prepared. If the 
soil is a tenacious clay, add plenty of coarse 
manure. On such soil, we have seen the 
best fruit raised by digging in simply wheat 
sfraw. If the soil is very light and sandy, 
add also ashes and a little lime—wood 
ashes are at all times acceptable to the 
strawberry. Either of the above soils may 
also be improved by mixing with the other. 
Having selected and prepared the ground, 
the next requisite is to obtain plants of the 
right kind. For garden culture, of which 
we now treat, Hovey’s Seedling and Mc- 
Avoy’s Superior are the most reliable. 
These kinds may be obtained of any, re¬ 
spectable nurseryman, at a reasonable price. 
We would also recommend a few of Burr’s 
New Pine, and Longworth’s Prolific, when 
it can be obtained with certainty as to its 
genuineness. The three first named are pis¬ 
tillate varieties, and will need a few stami- 
nate kinds mixed with them, or placed in 
beds not far distant. Longworth’s will an¬ 
swer for this purpose, if it can be had. If 
not, use the Early Scarlet. 
We will describe two modes of cultiva¬ 
tion—the only ones which we have found 
entirely satisfactory. 
First. Lay out the ground in beds four feet 
wide, with alleys between. Mark out rows 
across the bed, two feet apart, and have the 
plants one foot distant in the rows. Set the 
plants with a garden trowel or other conve¬ 
nient implement, pressing the earth firmly 
about the roots, and water immediately. If 
it is not desirable to plant a separate bed of 
some staminate variety, such as the Early 
Scarlet, or Longwortli’s, put a few of these 
in each bed—one to ten of the pistillate 
kinds will be enough—even a less number 
will answer. No further care will be neces¬ 
sary, except keeping the ground free of 
weeds, which may be done by occasionally 
running a garden rake between the rows, or 
by hoeing. If blossoms appear, be careful 
to pinch them out, for if the plants be allowed 
to bear fruit the first season, they will be too 
much weakened to bear well the next Sum¬ 
mer. Be careful, also, to cut off, or pinch 
out the runners as they appear from time to 
time. Much will depend upon this being 
done, that the plants form large stools capa¬ 
ble of bearing, next year, a pint or more of 
the finest fruit each. A bed thus managed 
will continue in bearing three years. If 
plants are required for making new beds 
either this Fall or next Spring, put out a few 
in rich ground, apart, for this purpose. 
Second. In this mode, the ground may be 
divided into beds or not; but it is better to 
do so, as the fruit can be gathered without 
trampling down the plants. Set them at the 
distance of two and a half feet each way. 
Keep the ground clean by frequent hoeing or 
raking, until the plants acquire strength, and 
the seeds of weeds have germinated, when 
the runners maybe allowed to lake root and 
cover the ground. In the Autumn, thin out 
the plants with a small hoe, leaving them 
eight or ten inches apart. After one crop 
has been obtained, the plants may be dug 
under, and a crop of something else raised 
on the ground. If the bed should be very 
free from weeds and grass, it may be re¬ 
tained for another crop ; but usually, it will 
be better to make a new plantation every 
Spring, as the old bed is liable to become 
crowded with plants or weeds, or both, and 
the trouble of making a new one is very 
little. In no other way can an abundance of 
fine fruit be obtained at so little trouble as 
by this method, though it is not quite so 
neat and finished as the first one proposed. 
FARMERS’ GARDENS. 
As a class, farm gardens fall far short of 
those found in villages, and in the sub¬ 
urbs of our cities. It probably will not pay 
for a farmer to lay out an acre or two of 
land in the highest style of the art of land¬ 
scape gardening, and employ men educated 
to the business to keep it. But it will pay 
better than any other portion of his farm, to 
till one acre in the most thorough manner, 
to raise the fruits and vegetables he wants 
for his own family. It is a reproach to the 
class, as the feeders of the world, that their 
own families are often not half as well sup¬ 
plied with fine fruits and vegetables as the 
mechanics and laboring men in the village. 
The standing excuse is, that they are de¬ 
pendent upon field crops for their profits, 
and these must have the first claim upon 
their attention, by which they mean that 
they have no time for the small business of 
planting beds and keeping them clear of 
weeds. They do not believe it pays to cul¬ 
tivate such vegetables as are common in all 
good village gardens. They have indeed a 
small patch called a garden, but it is more 
abundantly stocked with weeds than with 
anything else. It is so long neglected, both 
in planting and cultivating, that the weeds 
always have the start, and keep it through 
the season. The boys become thoroughly 
disgusted with it, and the term gardening is 
always associated in their minds with weed¬ 
ing the onion-bed and cutting up pig-weed 
and purslain among the beans and potatoes.. 
Some farmers, we rejoice to know, have 
turned over a new leaf, and for a few years 
have cultivated a good variety of vegetables, 
and find it both pleasant and profitable to as¬ 
sociate with their salt junk, cabbages, pars¬ 
nips, lettuce, peas, beans, onions, squashes,, 
&c. This month is the time for all the re¬ 
mainder to commence thorough work in the; 
garden. Manure thoroughly, and plow deep 
Then look over the lists of some reliable^ 
seedsman, and select such varieties as you, 
like, and plant them seasonably. A few dol¬ 
lars spent in this way will give you more 
satisfaction, and we think more piofit , than 
any other investment in seeds upon the 
farm. Try it and see. 
FORWARDING VEGETABLES. 
Besides the Hot-bed treated of last month, 
hand-glasses, or even boxes, may be advan¬ 
tageously employed alone, though usually 
better in connection with hot-beds. Choose 
ai warm and sheltered situation, in dry soil, 
