210 
MARCH 28 
£ox ilj e Doittxg. 
YOUTHS’ HORTICULTURAL CLUB 
,OF THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
ELEVENTH REGULAR DISCUSSION. 
Topic: Strawberries. 
Ezra J. Morse: —There is no fruit that can 
be grown in so many different soils and cli¬ 
mates, that will yield so plentifully as the 
strawberry. Almost any good garden soil 
will produce good strawberries, if they receive 
thorough cultivation. There are varieties 
that will yield better in some localities than 
in others. We have the Charles Dowuiug, 
Miner’s Great Prolific, Sharpless, Cumberland 
Triumph and the Pioneer. We set ours in rows 
three feet apart. The runners should not be 
allowed in the space between the rows, and 
they should be kept free from all weeds. One 
very important fact to be takeu into consider¬ 
ation, is, that it costs no more to grow good 
and pure varieties, than inferior and mixed 
up sorts. 
Uncle Mark:—If we grow strawberries:'they 
should be of the best, provided we can get 
them. To be successful in farming, we must 
keep down the weeds wherever we are: and to 
have the best stock, fruits, etc., that we can 
procure, means improvement on what we 
have had. _ 
Bessie C.Underhill: —As I live on Straw¬ 
berry Hill, and picked last year about 90 
bushels of strawberries, 1 thought I would tell 
what I know about them. Tho Crystal City 
is the very first to ripen. We got 28 cents a 
quart for our first ones, when the little Wil¬ 
sons from New Jersey and the South did not 
bring one-fourtli as much. Crescent comes 
next, and my father says it is tho best-blooded 
berry of all. He likes the Manchester pretty 
well, but Sharpless better. Cumberland Tri¬ 
umph is as round as a pea ch, and prettier than 
most berries? grows very large, and is of a 
light color. It is a very soft berry, and should 
be handled very carefully when picking. We 
think Bid well and Miner’s Prolific very good 
to eat, but wc shall plant (papa say r s) more Mt. 
Vernon and Windsor chiefs hereafter. 
To raise nice berries you have got to have 
nice land. Papa says that a drop or two of 
perspiration on every plant is good medicine 
for strawberries, provided they are well mix¬ 
ed with well rotted manure, ashes, guano, 
superphosphate, etc. The best time to plant 
is in the Spring, and theu pick the berries the 
following year. We generally plow them up 
right after picking, and raise big crops of 
celery, corn, tm-nips, etc., that same year; 
then perhaps we set berries in the same place 
the following Spring. Papa says he has grown 
strawberries on the same ground for 15 years 
or more, and thinks they may be far better 
the last year than the first Mulch well with 
straw just before picking to keep the berries 
from resting on the ground, and getting dirty. 
Allen Martin:— Strawberries are so good 
that I think almost all of us are interested in 
them, at least when they are ripe We raise 
them for our own use, but not to sell. We set 
them in the rows about a foot apart, the rows 
being two-aud-a-half to three feet apart, from 
center to center. We keep the runners cut 
off as well as possible, and the ground cleau 
until FalI. After the ground freezes we cover 
them lightly with straw. In the Spring the 
straw is raked off the plants into the rows, 
and left as a mulch. We do not disturb the 
ground much until the berry season is over; 
then we dig into it and hoe to keep the weeds 
down. We have the Green Prolific, Colonel 
Cheny, and some otbVr varieties that have not 
borne fruit yet. The Green Prolific is au ex¬ 
cellent berry. The Colonel Cheny is the bet¬ 
ter flavored of the two, but is irregular in 
shape aud not as productive as the others. 
Strawberries do best in a moist soil, and they 
should be grown in a sheltered position, so 
that the blossoms will not be killed by frost. 
Maggie A. Duvall: —We have beeu culti¬ 
vating strawberries for about 12 years, At 
first we set only enough plants for our own 
use, but have kept increasing them, until 
last year, besides what we used and gave 
away, we sold over $115 worth. We think 
the Sharpless aud Glendale are the most pro¬ 
ductive varieties. We have now in cultiva¬ 
tion the Sbarpless, Glendale, Captain Jack, 
Crescent Seedling, Cumberland Triumph, 
Mount Vernon, Kentucky, Manchester and 
James Vick. Last year wus the first time the 
Manchester fruited with us. It did not do as 
well as we expected, but we are going to give 
it another trial; it is a pistillate variety. We 
bought the James Vick last year, but it has 
not fruited yet. One year we had 12 kinds of 
berries in cultivation, but as all were not 
adapted to our soil, we disca rded some, among 
which were Monarch of the West, Cinderella, 
Centennial, and Great Amerieau. Strawber¬ 
ries for field culture are planted in rows three, 
and-one-half feet apart and 18 iuches in the 
row. _ 
Gertie M. Herd man: —The strawberry 
flourishes best in a slightly shaded situation, 
on a deeply worked, sandy loam. Plant in 
hills 10 inches apart, as this affords room to 
keep the weeds down, and to cultivate with 
the hoe: this for garden culture. The straw¬ 
berry needs a great deal of moisture. Always 
in setting out the plants, select a damp, 
cloudy day, and if the season is dry, copious 
draughts of water, saturating the soil as 
often as possible, will be indispensable. With 
care, planting may be done until blossoming. 
Pick off nearly all the leaves on settiug, leav¬ 
ing only two or three of the smallest. Keep 
the runners back, by pinching off. or apply 
old leaves, tauhark or cut straw between the 
rows, haLf an inch thick. Keep the weeds 
out. as they drink up the moisture that the 
plants need. For Winter protection, cover 
in the Fall with leaves of straw or com stalks, 
and in the Spring a good coating of wood- 
ashes, or well rotted barn-yard manure. This 
will aid in keeping down the weeds, and at 
the sanm time furnish the right kiud of plant 
food. With very little trouble, strawberries 
may be cultivated so as to yield abundantly, 
and who would not take the trouble for this 
most delicious berry. 
Uncle Mark: Don’t you think 10 inches 
apart for the plants, a little too close? I think 
from 12 to 15 inches better suited for garden 
culture. Theu your berries will not be crowded, 
and you can keep down the weeds easier. 
Sadie E. Steigleder:— The strawberry is 
a well-known garden-fruit, and although it 
grows wild, is cultivated as a great inauy va¬ 
rieties, bearing different names, in nearly all 
of the United States. The word strawberry, 
originated from au old custom of laying straw 
under the ripening berry. According to Lin- 
noeus, there are but two species. 
Wilmot’s Superb, Hovey’s Seedling, and Ju- 
cuuda, are all large-sized berries, Charles 
Downing. Crescent, and Iron-clad are also 
very productive. The Jucunde. or Seven 
Hundred, has a pleasant flavor, and is very 
productive also. It requires a heavy, clay 
soil, and a great deal of water. Strawberries, 
in general, do best in heavy day soil, be¬ 
cause they require a large amount of water, 
and clay retains moisture longer than loam. 
In the South, strawberries begin to ripen 
about the middle of April; in the North, the 
middle of June. The best time for setting out 
plants in the South, is the Fall; but in the 
North, the Spring. The soil for successful 
culture should be deep, rich, and well pulver¬ 
ized, with the plants set in rows three feet 
apart, eighteen inches in the row. and the 
plantation renewed every two or three years. 
The runners of new plants need to be pinched 
off, in order that the plants may fruit well. 
Certain kinds are found to do better in some 
districts than others, yet care in planting, 
freedom from weeds, aud good soil are the 
principal requisites for success. There are 
not many hugs that infest the plants, which is 
a fortunate thing. The only grub is that of 
tbeJune-bug, which cats off the roots of the 
plants. I believe there is no kuowu remedy 
for this grub, except to dig around the roots 
of the plants and find them. Strawberries 
need watering every night, especially in times 
of drought, but this is, of course, not always 
possible. 
There are large strawberry plantations all 
over the United States, the owuers of which 
make a great deal of money, as the berry is 
a fruit that will sell anywhere. 
Uncle Mark:—I t.hiuk the best soil to grow 
strawberries on, is one deep, moist, and sandy, 
rather than beavv clay, because the latter is 
hard to work, aud during dry weather bakes 
very hard. The strawberry should be given 
plenty of water, and that means a great deal; 
but the drainage should be good. 
Earnest M. Wolger:— The strawberry is 
about the nicest berry grown, l think. It is a 
hard berry to raise, at least it is bard for us 
to raise, but 1 think it makes a good deal of 
difference what kind of soil it is raised on. I 
like strawberries so well, 1 would like to know 
if any of the Cousins don’t like them; but I 
am sure Uncle Mark would not refuse a good, 
full dish of them, for I think they are his fa¬ 
vorite berry, and I am glad he had the Cous¬ 
ins write about them. 
Uncle Mark: —No, I hardly think I would 
refuse them, even if the dish was not full. 
Fruitof all kinds is u very healthy and desira¬ 
ble food, and the strawberry is especially so 
How much better it w'ould be if our farmers 
ate more fruit aud less pork. Let the mem¬ 
bers of the Youths’ Horticultural Club strive 
to increase the production of fruit on the 
farm. It will be a good work—profitable, 
healthy and enjoyable. 
^Ui.srrUancou.s Advertising, 
T. S. ARTHUR AT SEVENTY- 
FIVE. 
For many years the genial countenance of 
Mr T. S, Arthur has been a familiar sight to 
the citizens of Philadelphia, as he has walked 
the streets of the city on the route between 
bis home and his office. His name has 
been a household word among the readers of 
pure literature, throughout tie- whole country. 
And “Arthur’s Home Magazine,” which he 
has so loug and so successfully edited, has 
secured so hearty and so permanent a welcome 
in many thousands of the hest households in 
the land, that Mr. Arthur eanuot. be regarded 
as a stranger by intelligent people anywhere. 
The many stories and tales of which he is the 
author, are written in the interest of purity, 
good morals and reform; and especially those 
which are in aid of the temperance work have 
been productive of immense good. They have 
had an exceptionaly favorable reception, and 
have uobly served their purpose of stimulating 
people to high aims and noble intentions 
It might be supposed by those who have 
not personally seen Mr. Arthur that a man 
who could tor years work as diligently as he 
has, and who could produce the extraonliuary 
amount of superior literary material which 
has come from his pen, must be one of giant 
physique and robust constitution. Those who 
are familiar with his slender form know that, 
it is far otherwise His constitution was never 
strong. About 1870 he had suffered to such 
an extent from physical and nervous exhaus¬ 
tion that most of his friends gave him up as 
not likely to live long. It seemed as if his 
work was almost done 
The narration of Mr. Arthur’s decline in 
health, and of his restoration to vigor and the 
enjoyment of life, is of singular interest, as 
given by himself to one of our editors who 
recently enjoyed a protracted conversation 
with him. Mr. Arthur said, substantially: 
“Previous to the year 187b my health hadbeen 
very poor. For a number of years I had been 
steadily loosing ground in consequence of the 
constant physical and nervous strain resulting 
from overwork. 1 became so exhausted that 
my family anti friends were very anxious 
about me. Only a few of the most, hopeful of 
them th jught 1 could live for any considera¬ 
ble time. 1 was forced to abandon all my 
most earnest literary work, and 1 regarded my 
career in authorship at an end. 1 wasso weak 
that 1 could not walk over a few squares with¬ 
out great fatigue. The very weight of my 
body was to me a wearisome burden. My 
appetite was poor, anti my digestion was much 
impaired. 
“About this time my attention was attracted 
to Compound Oxygen as then administered 
by Dr. Starkey. 1 had heard of wonderful 
cures wrought by its agency; so wouderful in¬ 
deed, that, had I not personally known the 
Doctor, and possessed the fullest confidence in 
him. I should have been verv skeptical on the 
subject. I tried the Compound Oxygen 
Treatment, first simply-as an experiment. I 
knew it could not make me worse than I 
was, and l hoped it might make me better. 
That it would do tor me what it has I had not 
dared to hope.” 
How soon did yen begin to realize the ad van¬ 
tages of the treatment ? 
“Almost immediately. Its effect was not 
that of a stimulant, but of a gentle aud almost 
imperceptible vitiiizer of the wbloe system. 
Boon I began to have a sense of such physical 
comfort as 1 had not known for many years 
My streugtb was gradually returning’ ’ This 
slowly but steadily increased. lu a few 
months I was able to resume iny pen, aud 
within six months after doing so. I completed 
oue of my largest and most earnestly written 
books; and this without suffering any draw¬ 
back. and without any return of the old feeling 
of exhaustion. For more th m seven years 
after this I applied myself closely to literary 
work, doing, as 1 believe, the best work in my 
life.” 
Did your uniform good health eoutinue dur- 
those years, or did you suffer relapses into your 
former state of exhaustion? 
"The improvement was substantial aud per¬ 
manent. Not only had I no return of the old 
weakness and exhausted feeling, but I was 
aide to work in uiy study from ttiroe to four 
hours a day. The constant remark I heard 
from my friends was,' Mo a well you a re look¬ 
ing!’ Nor was it only in the strength aud vi¬ 
tality that 1 gained by the use ot Compound 
Oxygen. For tweuty years 1 had suffered 
with paroxysms of nervous headache, some 
times once or twice a week. They were very 
severe, lasting usually six or seven hours. In 
a year after I commenced the Oompouud Ox¬ 
ygen Treatment, these were almost entirely 
gone. It is now over ten years since 1 had 
such an attack. 1 was moreover, liable to 
take cold, and l had frequent attacks of inllu- 
euza. which always left me with a trouble¬ 
some cough. It is very rarely that I now take 
cold. When 1 do so 1 at. once resort to Com¬ 
pound Oxygen, which invariably breaks up 
the cold in fromone to three days*” 
Aud now, Mr. Arthur, what is your present 
condition of health, 
“It is all 1 have any right to desire or ex¬ 
pect at my somewhat advanced age of 75. I 
sleep well, and am able to take my proper 
amount of food, enjoying my tnoals with reg¬ 
ularity aud heartiness. My digestion, al¬ 
though slow, is good. I do not confine my- 
seff to any particular articles of diet, but eat 
what other people cat, rejecting, of course, 
that which seems to be indigestible, or too 
rich. 1 am able to atteud to my customary 
literary work, devoting about, four hours a 
day to it. and that, with out any sense of weari¬ 
ness except us to my eyes. Were it not for 
the fact that with advancing yeans I find my 
eyesight not as good as it formerly was, l 
should be able to work longer without fatigue 
I enjoy moderate exercise and take it regu¬ 
larly without that feeling of exhaustion 
which was formerly so depressing.” 
The testimonials and reports of cases pub¬ 
lished by Drs. Starkey and Palen in their 
pamphlets and advertisements, if literally 
true, show Compound Oxygen to be th e 
most remarkable curative agent yet discov¬ 
ered. Do you believe them nil to be genuine? 
“I lmve the most, complete confidence in 
them. For years 1 have had personal acquain¬ 
tance with Messrs Starkey «. PaJen, and ex- 
eentionally good opportunities for observing 
them, as well in private life as in their pro¬ 
fessional relation to the public. I am sure 
that neither of them would or could become a 
party to any fraud or deception But facts 
are of more value than opinions. Let me give 
you a fact., [publish a magazipe. and have 
had an advertising contract with Drs. Htarkey 
Sc Palen for over six years. During this 
time 1 have published monthly from-one to six 
or seven different reports of cases and cures 
under their new treatment, or over three hun¬ 
dred in all. Now, in every case I hare exam¬ 
ined the patients’ letters, from which these re¬ 
ports tee re t ft Icen, and know the extracts made 
therefrom, and published in my magazine, to 
be literally correct. Stronger evidence of 
genuineness thau this caouot of course be giv- 
en.” 
Mr. Arthur, some years ago you gave a 
testimonial in regard to what Compound Ox¬ 
ygon had done for you; and you also have 
spoken freely iu your Magazine concerning 
Messrs. Starkey & Palen. Do you. iu view of 
your present acquaintance with these gentle¬ 
men. nml your large experience with Com¬ 
pound Oxygen, endorse all you have said? 
“I do, most fully, and without any reserva¬ 
tion whatever.” 
And now, as to testimonials. Have vou at 
any time given a testimonial in favor of other 
special remedial agents or modes of treat¬ 
ment. 
“Never. The first and only time that I 
have permitted my name to be used in com¬ 
mending a curative agent to public notice and 
confidence is in the case of Join pound Oxy¬ 
gen. This I have done, not from solicitation, 
but voluntarily, aud from a sense of duty. 1 
believe that in the use of this newly discov¬ 
ered suostance. diseases loug classed as incur¬ 
able, iuay be greatly ameliorated and v.-ry 
often entirely broken, and the sufferer re¬ 
stored to comparative good health. I also be¬ 
lieve. that by its use the liability to disease 
muy be removed, and the general health of the 
community greatly improved. From what I 
know of its action, as well iu my owu case as 
in that of many others. L am satisfied, that if 
prompt ly used it mil arrest tho progress of 
acute pneumonia, consumption, catarrh, and 
most of the diseases which originate in colds. 
Believing this, as I certainly do, and from ev¬ 
idence which.is too direct aud positive to tie 
ignored. 1 would be diroiict iu my duty if I 
di<l not- <1 <i all in my power to induce the sick 
and suffering to seeic relief in the use of so 
benefleient au agent.” 
Have you seen and known other persons who 
h ive used Compound Oxygen: aiul have you 
had opportunities of observing to what extent 
they have received benefit? 
“My observation aud my opportunities iu 
this respect have been large. 1 have been 
much at the office ot l>rs. B'arkev A Palen, 
and have become personally acquainted with 
many who have takeu the i’reatinent. In al¬ 
most every case, where a fair trial was given, 
decided benefit was obtained. Some very re¬ 
markable cases iu consumption, rheumatism, 
catarrh, congestion ot' the lungs, usthrna, etc., 
have c une to my personal knowledge, the re¬ 
sults of which seemed almost, miraculous.” 
Do you still resort to Compound Oxygen 
Treatment, now that your health is restored? 
“I do not. as a regular thing. Only when 1 
have a cold, as 1 before remarked. 1 take it 
for n day or two, and always with good effect. 
I find that it. helps nature to throw off the cold 
by imparting the needed vitality to enable the 
system to do its proper and natural work. It 
puts nature into condition to defend itself 
against the attacks of disease. If there are 
any coses in which persons are disappointed in 
regard to Compound Oxygon, I believe them 
to lie those to which patients have been so im¬ 
patient for speedy cure that they have 
dropped the Treatment before it had opportu¬ 
nity to make its impression on the system. 
Such people will fly from one remedy, con¬ 
sume large quantities of almost every medi¬ 
cine brought, to their uofcieo, uud yet continue 
to lie invalids. Compound Oxygen does not 
cure by magic in a moment If it claimed to 
it would lie quackery. But 1 regard it as oue 
of the most w onder! ul and benefleient cura¬ 
tive agencies ever brought to public 11 itice.” 
For further and fuller answers to the count¬ 
less inquiries suggested by tho above to 
thoughtful minds, and to those who are solici¬ 
tous about their own well being and that of 
their friends, mail your address to Drs. Star- 
key & Palen, Holland 1111 Girard street. Phil¬ 
adelphia. The pamphlet you will receive in 
reply will set fortb full particulars. 
WANTFD mp A- WO.IIKN AGKNTH. James 
" Krl E.Vh iTNKV.Niirserymau.Rochester.N.Y. 
URE 
Prices Sedncod.— Standard Maintained. 
The Mass. Inspector's ' 
valuations of these Un¬ 
it nee* for the jiast seen 
years, avrraye. per ton 
Tin- form of pfuit food hns as much 
influence upon the yield and quality of 
crops as the nmouut. These Manures 
reooguuu this..nut an mndeof matni..l> 
best adapted to each crop or class of 
crops, combined in the right proper- 
1 tion.s; consequently arc very successful 
on potatoes, vegetables, corn, grass, Ac. 
For further particulars, send for psun- 
> phlet, mailed free. 
0WKER FERTILIZER C 
I0ST0N&NEW YORK. 
