8 
FLANSBURGH ft PEIRSON’S CATALOGUE. 
VVe set 18 inches to two feet or more 
apart, according to the vigor of the 
variety, and seldom have a break in 
our rows in the fall. Sometimes a 
small spot will be drowned out in a 
wet season, or a white grub will eat 
the roots off from a few plants be¬ 
fore we find him; but he seldom gets 
very far with us, for they are not long 
set before they begin to blossom, 
and these blossoms must be kept off 
or the plants well bear and exhaust 
themselves, and the young plants will 
suffer for it. 
We hire boys to do this work who 
go along the rows through the blos¬ 
soming season, pinching off the fruit¬ 
ing stems as fast as they appear, 
sometimes going over the same rows 
seven or eight times. 
We do not clip the runners from 
our matted rows, but allow them to 
run and root freely as soon as they 
will; but it may be done until about 
the first of August, when they should 
still be able to make a good narraw 
matted row. In hill culture the run¬ 
ners are kep off the entire season, 
clipping them off with a sarp hoe 
when hoeing. With every runner re¬ 
moved a new crown is added to the 
plant until it attains a large size, 
when, to cover it completely, would 
often require a bushel basket. The 
more vigorous the variety, the larger 
the plants may be made to grow. 
Intensive culture consists mainly in 
spacing the young plants about the 
parent plant in such a way that each 
plant will stand an equal distance 
(about enght inches) from its neigh¬ 
bor, until the row is wide enough to 
suit, all other runners being removed 
as soon as they appear. This is the 
ideal way to grow strawberries. It’s 
lots of work; but larger crops and 
finer fruit will pay the grower who 
can follow up this system. We rec¬ 
ommend this plan to those whose 
grounds are limited, and to all others 
who can give it the reouired attention. 
Mulch the vines in winter, whether 
the ground will heave in spring or 
not. Do not disturb them in the 
spring, more than to uncover them. 
At fruiting time be prepared with new 
clean packages. Old weather stained 
and moldy boxes are expensive. In¬ 
struct the pickers to pick each berry 
by the stem and handle them with 
great care. Assort and grade them as 
See Description of Peek’s 
they bring them in. Arrange the 
berries to attract the eye, but have 
each crate throughout as represented. 
Sell second grade and ordinary ber¬ 
ries where you can, but put your 
stamp on every crate of first 
grade stock. If you have something 
new and extra fine, go right up town; 
show them and name the price. The 
moral of all this is plain—excellence 
will win. 
- ♦ — ♦ - 
Some New Varieties—Half a Crop of 
Berries, but 130 Car Loads—Two 
Letters. 
Villa Ridge, Ill., Mar. 20, '03. 
Sirs: — Plants came on the 19th in fine 
shape, and they are fine plants. They 
look like my own growing. Thanks for 
the Lester Lovett, but growers here say 
they are nothing but the Gandy. I don’t 
know as I haven’t fruited it. It has 
rained almost every day since I wrote 
you. The season is late for work, but 
early for berries. No planting done yet. 
Ohio river all over the bottoms. Can see 
the water from my door. I enclose a 
bloom from Uncle Jim, so you may judge 
the season here. 
Later, June 21, ’03.—Sirs: — I write 
you now to make some inquiry about the 
Marie. Is it a solid good shipper? I 
could not tell this year as I only had ten 
feet of row to pick and it rained three 
times a day when we picked them, but it 
did not seem much firmer than Ridgeway. 
It is all O. K. in size, color and fruiting. 
What seems singular to me is that in the 
16 catalogues that crack it up highly, 
not one says a word about its shipping 
qualities and that is what I want to 
know. The Uncle Jim stood our May 1 
freeze better than any other of our 20 
varieties, and matured a big crop of 
very firm big berries, good to eat or sell, 
and it is the best growing plant on my 
farm. At your leisure tell me how you 
like Springdale and its time of ripen¬ 
ing in comparison with Excelsior. The 
freeze cut our strawberries 60 per cent,, 
but we shipped 130 cars from V. R. 
Yours truly, 
GEO. W. ENDICOTT. 
NOTE.—Last season was the first we 
had enough Marie to ship in quantity. 
It was wet here, too, but not so wet 
as with our friends in southern Illinois. 
They were firm as average berries go, 
but we did not try to ship them as far 
as the Uncle Jim or Dunlap that we 
sent long distances. About 100 miles 
was the extent we tried Marie, but 
would not fear to venture it much fur¬ 
ther in an ordinary season. 
Snohomish, Wash., Mar. 23, ’03. 
Dear Sirs:—My order of Uncle Jim 
plants received O. K. this morning. 
Thanks for the Cameron. All in perfect 
condition, and were making fibrous roots 
on the way. One Cameron plant (un¬ 
trimmed) was in full bloom. I will keep 
my eye on the Comeron. 
Very truly r yours, 
G. H. HARVEY. 
Early Fo'tato on page 29. 
