THE CULTIVATOR. 
247 
THE STRAWBERRY. 
The excellence and value of this fruit are so well 
known as to need no recommendation. This is a good 
season of the year for transplanting. Mr. Kenrick’s de¬ 
scription of the mode of cultivation, as given in the <•'New 
American Orchardist,” is as follows: 
« For the reception of the plants, the grounds may be 
trenched twenty inches deep, and a quantity of half-rotted 
manure incorporated to half this depth. For economy, 
it is also recommended in the final transplanting, to set 
the plants in beds of four rows each; the rows running 
in a longitudinal direction; the distance between the beds 
varying from two to two and a half feet, according to the 
roots to be planted, as some varieties require much more 
space than others. During the first year, the runners to 
be carefully destroyed before they have taken root. 
Around such as show fruit, grass or straw is placed; 
(Keen recommends the same, for the plant derives its 
name from this circumstance.) This protects alike the 
soil from washing rains, from a scorching sun, and the 
consequent evaporation of its moisture; it protects the 
fruit from becoming soiled. But as soon as the fruit is 
gathered, this covering is to be removed, and the soil 
kept clear of weeds by the hoe till autumn. In autumn, 
all the spaces, including the alleys, to be dug carefully 
over with a pronged fork, so as not to injure their roots. 
Both Keen and Mr. Knight, however, direct manure to 
be applied before this last operation is commenced, and 
Mr. Knight, has particularly cautioned against digging so 
deep as to disturb the roots, as it weakens the force of the 
plants. The second summer Lindley states that the plant 
will bear their best crop and finest fruit; the beds and 
outside of the alleys should be covered with mown grass, 
or with straw, three or four inches thick; by this meth¬ 
od, he states he has found the fruit not only more abun¬ 
dant, but of finer quality.” 
“ In the vicinity of Boston the following mode is often 
adopted:—The vines are usually transplanted in August. 
The rows are formed from eighteen inches to two feet 
asunder. The runners, during the first year, are de¬ 
stroyed. In the second year they are suffered to grow 
and fill the interval, and in the autumn of that year, the 
whole of the old rows are turned under with the spade, 
and the rows are thus shifted to the middle of the space. 
The same process is repeated every second year. Ano¬ 
ther mode which may be recommended generally, is to 
plant the strawberries in rows thirty inches asunder and 
nine inches distant in the row, and suffer the vines to ex¬ 
tend to the width of eighteen inches, leaving twelve 
Inches for an alley; allow eighteen inches width to the 
alleys, and three feet asunder to the rows; and to form 
new beds every three years, or never suffer the bed to ex¬ 
ist over four years; and to plant out in August in prefer¬ 
ence to Spring.” Some good horticulturists, however, 
prefer planting in spring. 
Much has been said about the sex and character of the 
strawberry. It is defined by botanists as belonging to 
the order of plants, (Icosandria Polyginia ,) which have 
the male and female organs in the same flower,—yet 
some have contended that it is dioecious in its character— 
that is producing the male and female organs on differ¬ 
ent plants. The theory advocated by Mr. Longworth, 
of Cincinnati, and which is probably correct, is, that ev¬ 
ery blossom contains both the male and female organs in 
a greater or less degree of perfection; but that in some 
varieties the different organs are not developed in the 
due proportion to insure fructification. In some kinds, 
the female organs, (pistils) are defective, in others, the 
male, (stamens.) Those varieties in which the female 
organs are disproportionably developed, though when 
left to themselves they are generally sterile, will often 
produce fruit of extraordinary size when brought in con¬ 
tact with plants in which the male organs are largely 
developed; but there are some vai'ieties in which the fe¬ 
male organs are so defective, and the male organs are so 
much predominant, that they cannot be fructified, and 
are, therefore, under all circumstances, totally barren. 
A little experience will soon enable any one to distin¬ 
guish the male and female organs of the strawberry—or 
the staminate and pistilate flowers. Mr. Longworth, in 
a communication for the Western Farmer and Gardener, 
illustrates this part of the subject by the following anec¬ 
dote. He says he was trying in vain so to express him¬ 
self as to enable a person not a botanist, to distinguish the 
male and female plants by the blossom, when a young 
son of his German vine-dresser, conveyed the idea in a 
few words. (S Why,” said he to the person, “ you not 
understand! The husband he always have de beard , de 
frow she have none.” Mr. Longworth adds, “a quire 
of paper could not give a more definite description. In 
the male plant, the face of the flower is covered by a long 
yellow beard, that almost hides it. The female has the 
beard, but so closely shaven as not to be perceptible to 
the naked eye. The male blossom > is generally also, of 
double size.” 
Mr. Longworth recommends planting the pistilate and 
staminate varieties in separate beds, two and a half feet 
apart, “ every fifth bed being a male.” If they are 
planted in the same beds, the male, or staminate plants, 
soon over-run the others, and no fruit is obtained. 
As to varieties, Mr. Breck of the N. E. Farmer, who 
has had much experience in the cultivation of this fruit, 
says — et after having tried a multitude of sorts, we should 
recommend for common cultivation, Hovey’s Seedling , 
as the very best for the general crop— Early Virginia for 
early use, and the English Wood for late. Many new and 
highly.extolled varieties have disappointed the expecta¬ 
tions of the horticulturist.” 
FARMING ON THE AROOSTOOK. 
Now that the North-eastern boundary is finally settled, 
the best portions of the former u disputed territory” are 
becoming rapidly settled. From all we can learn, we 
have little doubt that our neighbors of New-Hampshire 
and Maine, would find the inducements for emigrating to 
the Aroostook Valley, equal in many respects to those of 
any other section. A correspondent of ours, who has 
purchased and is now improving a tract of land there, 
with a view to a residence, writes as follows: ee The soil 
lies on a lime-stone rock, and is from one foot to two feet 
deep, of different colors, such as light yellow, chocolate 
color, light gray or black mold, like old barn-yard ma¬ 
nure. These four varieties are often met with in the dis¬ 
tance of two rods, and the settlers like that land best 
which consists of these different kinds, so located as to 
mix together in cultivating. The crops, when I was at 
the Aroostook last August, (1843) were superior in ap¬ 
pearance to any thing I had ever seen or conceived of. 
The oats were up to a man's chin—the wheat about as 
high, with heads seldom less than four and sometimes 
nine inches long—and the barley from four to four and a 
half feet high. The potatoes were very well advanced, 
and of that peculiar richness and mealiness which no po¬ 
tatoes have, not raised in or near the ‘ Provinces.’ ” 
Indian corn is not cultivated very extensively on the 
Aroostook; still there is some raised there, and our 
friend writes that he is informed by a man who is opera¬ 
ting there this season, that “ the corn there was knee 
high the first of July, and looked as it used to in Kenne¬ 
bec when growing on a dung-heap .” 
Cedar Shingles. —The Springfield Gazette says—• 
“ Mr. John Bliss of Wilbraham left at our office, last 
week, some shingles that were taken from the roof of his 
barn, on the 9th inst., where they had remained 104 
years,having been put on by his grand-father,Ensign Abel 
'Bliss, in May 1740. The shingles were of 5-8 thickness, 
made of cedar which grew on the farm of the then own¬ 
er, and during the time stated had covered the west half 
of the north roof, the other part having in that time been 
twice covered with pine shingles. They were 20 to 24 
inches long, and six inches exposed to the weather. The 
roof boards were in suitable order for re-shingling.” 
Cattle Shows this Season.— New-York State, at 
Poughkeepsie, Sept. 18 and 19.--Hampden Co. (Mass.) 
at Springfield, Oct. 16, 17.-Coshocton Co. (O.) Oct. 
25.--Newberry (S. C.) Sept. 25.-Philadelphia, 
on the Germantown turnpike, 3 miles from the city, Oct. 
16, 17_Kings Co. (N. Scotia) at Kentville, Sept. 26. 
