Sectyes es ipdtes tegen artes es F ‘ "I \ “ = ten nt Tac ng oe Pe ohana . * rt \ % wee Sr tery . - ter, mo eters *r “fava Mat beer] eres ne 0 JwBdOL blob ag hhlbN by) SiGdtbtn tune wcabeubodnsadvibounbisen titre tossabiaibiN tel Siiah dbabilenes. SvndvBIacy. 1804 Wiiibli las sajebabee titetibe f ‘ t gpa betty Meath cement w + houblelesic ap sTerodepea toast its lalbi byte LMaeieesgsisarelssadele aha piaseewit nl SPu: iinsbuidanbbpisalelig OH CaLeNiyrouiast AAAI ANbceres ales 4 eae bee” Len, HH) ; 4 . ih ee ‘ thong he eactlier ea, tee 34-68 3, es iS 75 niccwo pgien Hit A j fy di a aes ee s Ste ts? ee SF t we Gs alps e pee. Peissie sis: Ry, ' 2 mipsrd fire i 53 eet rf 7 rey atte 45 2425 Fiseis a! aT . oe . it Aides ) # 55 i : Fy, A 3% reiearay iy, : Hi vie Fe. af fee if AN = £ = Bs ee SAYS eee ret igeiviisivsieips rely sigis sie): Epdi este sidigs tea; Ped 7 #. 3! a) - he ~ OS Ce A COMPLETE MANUAL ~~ Cult ation of the Strawberry; DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST VARIETIES, ALSO, NOTICES OF THE RASPBERRY, BLACKBERRY, CURRANT, GOOSEBERRY, AND GRAPE; WITH DIRECTIONS FOR THEIR CULTIVATION, AND THE SELECTION OF THE BEST VARIETIES. “Every process here recommended has been proved, the plans of others tried, and the result is here given.” BY h.-G. PARDEE: WITH A VALUABLE APPENDIX, CONTAINING THE OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF SOME OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CULTIVATORS OF THESE FRUITS IN OUR COUNTRY. NEW YORK: C.M.SAXTON, AGRICULTURAL BOOK PUBLISH ER, No. 152 FuLton STREET. 1854. LIBRARY NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN Qhiy a Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854, by C..1Mi: SALTON, n the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York. EDWARD 0. JENKINS, PRINTER AND STEREOTYPER, 114 Nassau St. Goutents. PAGH SESEMIETOMESIG Sh a (Svcvcjate wate alo a wel a sibleta ele! staieva aipain /avs(ee einienake eta 5 ENG SER AWBERE Six... iaai6sa 425s «eis ae oie ame eels iAls = malereeteniaa § SRR AUIONE 2. bs ehie nc acets ets ree Laaemate te slept adele Sins peleasieee 13 PCE SION OE, SOM: 5 do. win Bis cl sun's wate. s 3 e.e,e' Seales ole mica meena 14 PRCPAPAMOD OF SOW oss cari epicsoceys, fac «orem Sie sat old aint neers 15 WESBHEER. soso 6k ac «aso chemise + adhe ee aus? SoS eee 16 Transplanting (Yime and Manmer Of)........-.ceeeeeceeeeees 19 MRE Slr Sons 6 a oe ors aisiein os e's opeapoete me acue aie areal nee WARMED Eo aoc ote od ols Seine adc Hanis eens Sadana eee 25 GrrpEn AON: 2s ot-5 oS Fs S, 5, « Sf Sichaceceepeserse = cee s See eee roe 26 FUCMEW AOL BEGSS . ociecs « sic)s's sie 's Bele a oa eee w einer e el aleve tenants 28 Mpenservie rolechion. sc 8s222 - TL I a og ae eae 29 MEER Ps FI dis AE Jaleo Ey eee eee ae eee ee 34 ORE E GAS APES OF co De oP LETS eee eR Oe See sete” ee Bae RI OF FSi sl Boe a aS ale Maan a ae eee 43 MEM INOALIOR 3.34 o SNS cds ini eink Ce oe Detar oe eee ees 44 Recwen, Of Varietiess.. ofc. o. ee we teas Fe ole eens eee 45 McAvoy’s Superior — Hovey’s Seedling — Monroe Scarlet— Burr’s New Pine —Longworth’s Prolific — Walker’s Seed- ling—McAvoy’s Extra Red—-Moyamensing Pine—Jenney’s Seedling—Large Early Scarlet—Crimson Cone—Rival Hud- son—Genesee Seedling—Willey—Princess Alice Maude— Boston Pine—Black Prince—Lizzie Randolph—Swainstone Seedling -- Richardson’s Early — Richardson’s Late, and Cambridge — Myatt’s British Queen — Large White Bicton Pine—Barr’s New White—Prolific Hautboy. lv CONTENTS, PAGE Analysis of the Strawberry Fruit and Plant................6. 63 MME PUREST cre) oo Unis Ci ‘nic Sadan’ SrA. Wn latina) WAS i= Woe ale 0 Apo co atarerg ERG 66 Fastolf— Franconi— Red and Yellow Antwerp — Knevett’s Giant—Large-fruited Monthly—Ohio Ever-bearing. PaO eRIME oS 5 Wx, 5 Arnis be toed mid bene b ©, she es eels a0 we Oe 73 White--Improved High Bush-—New Rochelle. MMR Screg hs dace wc 's dt ania e wie ely seu e ae eo 6 eset ec cman 78 Black Naples—White and Red Dutch—Cherry—May Victoria —-Knight’s Sweet Red—Largest White Provence. Prenat od Se acs aid eZee s AS eee aeet ae Crompton’s Sheba Queen—Woodward’s Whitesmith—Roaring Lion—Crown Bob—Houghton’s Seedling. Isabella— Catawba—Clinton. APPENDIX. Peabody on Ever-bearing Strawberries ...........-. ee eee eee 93 Peaoody’s iuetter to R. G. Pardee... 2... ccs oe c's oe osm as ahO Eewrence on Crescent Seedling. ...........06 seme en cece wae 103 Hunteman’s Experiments... ... 0.00... 2c cece seuss cs cssis oe ales 107 Longworth’s Letter to R. G. Pardee Keen Deer 109 Longworth and Cincinnati Horticultural Society ............. 112 Report of Cincinnati Horticultural Society............00.e eee 116 Report of Strawberry Market at Cincinnati.................- ils Barry’s Directions for Cultivation of Strawberry.............. 119 French’s Ay e od oe malin nee 128 Mead’s ee Mt a inne 130 Rrust and weremble Garden... .. 75. cia aces cece s cvne Ouch 138 alreface. eet Tus work has been prepared for the press, in the belief that it was wanted by the public. The author has, in a direct, plain manner, simply given his own experience. Every process here recommended has been - proved; the plans of others tried, and the re- sult is here given. Every variety of fruit here introduced—except the New Rochelle Blackberry and two or three small, unimportant. fruits — has been planted, fertilized, watered, cultivated, and carefully watched daily for months, and in most cases, for years ; so that it is not mere theory, or se- cond-hand information from amateurs or gar- deners, however superior, that is here recorded. vl PREFACE. A large crop of strawberries may be expect- ed every year with as much certainty as a crop of corn, and in fact, more so; for our directions embrace a protection from drought, which so frequently lessens the corn crop. It will be readily seen that the author has not followed the rules and order usually ob- served in treating upon these subjects ; but has aimed to,say what he means, in a condensed, business-like way, so that he may be under- stood by the mass of readers. it does not by any means follow, that every one who reads this book will at once raise the largest and most luscious strawberries and other choice fruits here named, in the greatest abun- dance. Few persons are thorough enough to do any thing well at first. Place a new recipe for making premium bread in the hands of six cooks, and it would be quite remarkable if half of them were so particular as to make good bread on the first \ PREFACE. Vil trial. Some little thing which seems to the unskilled to be unimportant, may in fact be essential. It is pleasant to know that so many intelli- gent cultivators are now turning their attention to the production of these fine fruits, and we may reasonably expect much additional light will be thrown upon some points, which shall be included in subsequent editions of this work. | The writer is happy to acknowledge his obligations to a large number of cultivators of these fruits during the last few years, for valu- able suggestions which he has become so familiar with in practice, that doubtless even their precise language has been sometimes un- consciously woven into the text of this work. if it were possible, he would be more specific in his acknowledgments, for it is pleasant to speak of such authors as A. J. Downing, John J. Thomas, P. Barry, C. M. Hovey, and latterly - Vili PREFACE. F. R. Elhott, who has politely assented to our use of some of the accurate drawings of fruits from his new Fruit Book and Guide. Our Appendix embraces much valuable ori- ginal as well as selected matter, which will place before our readers the views of others, beside our own, and will enable them to exer- cise their own intelligent judgment, and lead to successful practice. + THe AvuTHor. THE STRAWBERRY. TuIs is the most beautiful and delicious of all our early fruits, and so easily cultivated and so uniformly productive, that every housekeeper possessing a few rods of ground can have no excuse for not supplying his table with an abundance. Mr. A. J. Downing said truly, ‘‘ Ripe, blushing straw- berries eaten from the plant, or served with sugar and cream, are certainly Arcadian dainties with a true para- disiacal flavor, and, fortunately, they are so easily grown that the poorest owner of a few feet of ground may have them in abundance.” In the language of Mr. P. Barry—“ To grow large, handsome, fine-flavored fruit in abundance, it is not necessary to employ a chemist to furnish us with a long list of specifics, nor even to employ a gardener by profession who can boast of long years of experience. 2 lA % Oy, 10 THE STRAWBERRY. Any one who can manage a crop of corn or potatoes can, if he will, grow strawberries.” During many seasons we have had on trial in our garden from twenty to sixty varieties at a time, and although some were comparatively unproductive, yet the average cost of producing them for years has been less than fifty cents per bushel; not including the cost of picking or expense of plants, which were taken from our own garden. Others can, and have done, the same. We can refer to amateurs, market-men, farmers, and nurserymen in Western New York, who have raised them at even a smaller cost, both on a large and small scale. On a plot of ground fifty by sixty feet, we have repeatedly gathered over fifteen bushels in a season, under all the disadvantage of many varieties. Witha good selection of kinds, it is certain that one hundred and fifty bushels can easily be produced on an acre. We have-on small beds grown at the rate of two hundred and fifty bushels to the acre, and we have abundant testimony that, on a larger plot, at the rate of two hundred bushels per acre has been gathered. It is almost as easy to raise extra-large, fine fruit, as it is small indifferent berries; and it is a decided object. Fruit of high flavor, measuring from three to four inches in circumference, will commend fifty cents per quart in New York or any other good market, as readily as small fruit will ten cents; while the labor THE STRAWBERRY. 11 of picking such large fruit is very small, and the pro- duct much larger. The demand for extraordinary fruit is everywhere increasing. Of the many varieties on our own grounds one sea- son, more than twenty different kinds, without special effort, produced specimens four inches in circumference, while the largest were six. There is a positive plea- sure in raising such fruit, and our aim in this work is to enable many persons to make that pleasure their own. The interest on this subject has so increased and become so well-nigh universal, that every village and neighborhood can call out a little company who will be glad to know how easily it can be done. Mr. Downing says, ‘‘ The strawberry is perhaps the most wholesome of all fruits, being very easy of diges- tion, and never growing acid by fermentation, as most other fruits do. The oft-quoted instance of the great Linnezus curing himself of the gout by partaking freely of strawberries—a proof of its great wholesome- ness—is a letter of credit which this tempting fruit has long enjoyed, for the consolation of those who are look- ing for a bitter concealed under every sweet.” An unknown writer in the last Patent Office Report says, ‘‘ The strawberry was described by Juan di Cuba in his ‘Ortus Sanitatis, in 1485, in which its medical and other properties are treated at length.” He also eloquently says: 12 THE STRAWBERRY. ‘“When we contemplate the relations which the strawberry plant bears to other parts of nature—to the sun which expands its blossom—to the winds which sow its seeds—to the brooks whose banks it embellish- es; when we contemplate how it is preserved during a winter’s cold capable of cleaving stones—how it appears verdant in the spring, without any pains em- ployed to preserve it from frost and snow—how, feeble and trailing along the ground, it should be able to migrate from the deepest valleys to Alpine heights— to traverse the globe from north to south, from moun. tain to mountain, forming, on its passage over prairie and plain, a thousand mingled patches of checker- work of its fair flowers and scarlet or rose-colored fruit, with the plants of every clime—how it has been able to scatter itself from the mountains of Cash- mere to Archangel, from Kamschatka to Spain—how, in a word, we find it in equal abundance on the conti- - nent of America, from the bleak fields of Tierra del Fuego to Oregon and Hudson’s Bay, though myriads of animals are making incessant and universal havoc upon it, yet no gardener is necessary to sow it again— we are struck with wonder and admiration at so pre- cious a gift.” SITUATION. 13 Sait A/T LOW. A warm, exposed, and yet rather moist location is the best for a strawberry plantation. If very early fruit be an object, select a side-hill gently sloping towards the south, with a liberal ad- mixture of small stones or coarse gravel in the soil. This should then be protected on the north, west, and east by a high closed board fence, or a live hedge; we have seen an artificial hedge of withered evergreen boughs that answered an excellent purpose, and en- abled the owner to realize fifty cents per quart for the crop, when otherwise he could not have so much anticipated the usual season, and would have been compelled to take twelve and a half cents for the same quantity. If late fruit be desired, then select a piece of land facing the north, and exposed. Low land is usually preferable to high, hilly land for the strawberry, yet it can easily be raised on both; a little knowledge of its character will enable us to remedy the defects of the high ground. If the situation is near a spring of water, where it can be irrigated, and is also susceptible of drainage, it is very desirable. Though they will sometimes succeed when partially shaded with trees or shrubbery, yet they are best 14 SELECTION OF SOIL. flavored in an open garden, with no shade but their leaves. Alpines, and some other kinds, planted in the northern shade of a fence or dwelling, will commence later and continue longer in their bearing season. S44; bo PION OF 8S OT de New land, recently disrobed of its forests, if of a deep gravelly loam, we think is the best adapted to the strawberry, and next, a sandy loam; but almost any soil, even the heaviest clay, can be prepared, by a liberal admixture of sand or gravel, so as to produce the finest fruit. As has been intimated, as low moist soil as can be procured, consistently with depth and thorough drain- age, 1s best adapted to the strawberry; and yet ele- vated knolls, and even sand-hills, with the precautions above-named, have often succeeded well. Wet, spongy lands, except with a porous subsoil susceptible of drainage; and high, barren hills, with a thin, flinty soil, are alike to be avoided. The strawberry, however, is so retentive of life, that it will live in almost any soil; but it will not produce. much fruit, unless the remedies are in some way ap- plied to the ungenial soils. PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 15 PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. Clear the ground of weeds, roots, and seeds of all kinds in preparation for thorough drainage, which in most soils should be attended to the first thing. The best drains are the earthen tile drains, from two to four rods apart, which should be so constructed as to be left open at both ends for the circulation of the air, as well as the release of stagnant water. A brush or coarse stone drain is beneficial as a temporary expedient. After draining, break up the soil as deep as possible with a subsoil plough, or by trenching twenty inches or more deep. The strawberry is so sensitive to drought and stagnant water that very little of the best land in our country can be exempt from draining and trenching, if we would receive in return uniformly large crops of fruit in all seasons. Inasmuch as the fruit is composed of so large a pro- portion of potash, soda, and lime—sixty-two parts in every hundred, as will be seen by the tables in this work giving the analysis of the strawberry and plant —we recommend next, that an application to the acre be made of twenty to thirty bushels of unleached or leached ashes, ten to twelve bushels of lime—either stone or oystershell—with two to three bushels of salt, which should be thoroughly mixed with the soil, if § 16 MANURES. possible, some weeks before the plants are set out. A liberal handling of the soil, thoroughly pulverizing it, before proceeding to the work of transplanting, is good economy. MANURES. On this point we are aware we shall differ widely from some of our ablest horticulturists, to whom we confess our inferiority in most things in the great science of horticulture; yet, in this we are confident that their own personal experiments, did their time permit, would lead them to the same results that we have deliberately arrived at. And first, we would not use animal or barn-yard manures for the strawberry. We have eschewed their use entirely for the last six years. If friends who have watched our beds for years, say the soil was pe- culiar, and is not a fair test, we answer, that may be, but we have arrived at this positive conclusion from our experiments and observation in other locations and soils, as well as in our own garden, and every step has only confirmed us in the opinion, that animal manures are too stimulating and exciting to the plant for the full bearing properties of the strawberry. Fine fruit has been raised, we know, in fair quanti- MANURES. 17 ties and of enormous size, in the use of animal ma- nures, yet we think the quantity and quality would have been decidedly increased by the use of vegetable instead of animal manures. The latter causes the plant to run too much to vines, and start its runners before it has even perfected the earliest part of the first crop of fruit, besides filling the earth generally with seeds, and undecayed portions of the straw, and fibrous portions from the barn-yard, which come into injurious contact with the numerous fibrous roots of the plant in its progress in the earth, which should always be kept as pure for the strawberry as possible. Leaf-mould, decomposed turf or peat, well composted with new surface soil, or muck, ashes and lime, is a good manure for the strawberry. We wish it, however, distinctly understood, that few good soils need enrich- ing at all for the strawberry ; on the contrary, most of the soils (for instance, those in Western New York) would be more benefited by being depleted by an admixture of half river-sand. It will be seen from the interesting articles in our Appendix A, from C. F. Peabody, Esq., near Colum- bus, Georgia, that his own observation and experience have led him to the same conclusions. Other cultiva- tors might also be named who have arrived at similar results. It is far better to feed the fruit properties instead of o* 18 ‘ MANURES. the plant; for we opine it will be found that the over- feeding of the strawberry is one of the most universal and destructive errors in its cultivation. Some use liquid manures, composed of cow and hen- droppings dissolved in a barrel of water; but they are not well adapted to assist the fruit-bearing properties of the plant, but are good if the object be to send out runners and increase the plants. On the opening of spring—the latter part of April or the 1st May, in the latitude of the State of New York —it is well to give the plants an impetus, by liberally showering them every ten days or two weeks with a solution, in six gallons of water, of one quarter of a pound each of sulphate of potash, sulphate of soda, (Glauber salts,) and nitrate of soda, with one and a half ounces of sulphate of ammonia; or, if these cannot be conveniently obtained, use the same quantity of potash, sal soda, Glauber salts, and sal or muriate of ammonia; or a solution of either of them is beneficial if applied alone. We have tried for many years various combinations in solution, but have been unable to obtain any so valuable as the first named. We have always found plaster injurious to the straw- berry, and ashes beneficial, when judiciously applied. TRANSPLANTING. 19 TRANSPLANTING. This is a process to which the strawberry is sensitive. The plant will live under almost any treatment or any manner or time of transplanting, but will not always yield a full supply of good fruit unless this process is appropriately performed. First we speak as to TIME. For large plantations, or for ordinary cultivators, the spring is perhaps the best season; certainly it is the time when it can be the easiest and most success- fully accomplished. The ground is soft and moist at that time, and the weather is usually favorable. The next season generally recommended is the month of September. Plants can then be easily ob- tained, and after the cool, moist fall weather has com- menced, the ground works easily, and there is not much difficulty in making them live. There is one danger, however, to be especially guarded against in fall transplanting ; that is, the plants may not get so firmly rooted as to be enabled to withstand successfully the severe frosts of winter. A liberal covering of straw will assist in remedying this matter. An adyan- tage gained over spring transplanting will be, the earth will not be as liable to pack so very hard around the plants in the fall, as under the hot summer’s sun and rains, and the plants will not be so likely to be checked 20 MANNER OF TRANSPLANTING. in their growth as in the droughts which often occur in June and July or August. We have transplanted strawberry plants successfully for years, every month, from March until the 20th of October, without difficulty. With mulching, shade, and water, judiciously applied, it can be well done at any time. For our ordinary planting, we prefer the 1st of July for several reasons. The ground, if tho- roughly prepared then, will not be subject to become so hard packed. The weeds will not be so trouble- some. If the plants get well started, and are not checked in their growth, they will produce very nearly a full crop of fruit the following spring. We have found that these advantages will amply repay the little extra care in mulching, shading, and watering. Ten or fifteen days’ later planting will seriously lessen the first crop, according to our observation. In spring planting, March will answer south of Philadelphia, and last of April and first of May for the north. MANNER OF TRANSPLANTING. The best way undoubtedly is, to take the first runners as soon as fairly set, and remove them with a trans- . planting-trowel, with the roots and earth undisturbed. This cannot be conveniently done, except the plants are in the same garden with the new bed. Neither MANNER OF TRANSPLANTING. 21 have we ever found the first runners more productive than the subsequent ones, unless they are stronger. In most cases, plants come from a distance, and great care should be taken to get as large a proportion of the numerous fibrous roots as possible; and in order to this, the ground should always be well saturated with water, either artificially or otherwise, before the plants are taken up, and then the first thing to be done, is to mud the roots, by dipping them in a little mud-hole made in the garden soil, where the water has been poured and stirred, until it has become sufficiently thickened with the soil to leave a good coating of mud on the roots of the plants as they are withdrawn. This greatly protects the plants on a short or a longer transportation. For transplanting, the earth should be levelled and made as flat as possible. If raised into beds or hills, it will invite the drought, to which the strawberry plant has a decided aversion. The plants should then be set out, leaving the roots in as nearly their natural spreading condition as possible; with the fingers press the pure earth compactly around the body of the plant, being careful not to set the plant too deep. If there is any old bark or decayed portion of the leaves on the plant, remove it before setting out: an old plant will usually renew itself by sending out a new set of roots on being transplanted, and it should be remem- 22 DISTANCE IN TRANSPLANTING. bered that the strawberry plant,-while it’ places its roots, mainly, near the surface of the ground, yet a portion of its larger roots penetrate favorable soils to the depth of from two to four feet, and even a greater depth in some cases. DISTANCE IN TRANSPLANTING. The Alpines and smaller varieties should always be eight inches apart, while the larger varieties should be allowed twelve to eighteen inches. Put one plant in a place, and let no other remain nearer than the above distances, and it is not material to success in cultivation whether you plant in rows, beds, or hills, if you do not hill them up. We often set out in rows, two feet apart, and leave the plants one foot from each other in the rows; or, a method by which we have enjoyed great success in producing the finest fruit, has been to prepare a plot of ground, and cover it with strong plants one yard apart, and stimulate these, by a liberal application of liquid manures or soap-suds from the wash, to send out runners, which will soon supply the intermediate ground with plants of nature’s own planting, which is a little better done than any one else can do it; care should, however, be taken to spread the runners so that the above distance of from eight to twelve inches can be preserved. MULCHING. 2a For field culture, set two plants in a place, one foot from the next, in rows three feet apart, so as to leave room for a horse-cultivator to pass between the rows, care being requisite not to approach nearer than eight inches to the plants, when at work among them. This whole process of field culture is the same in its general principles with that in the garden ; except, for the convenience of a horse-cultivator to pass between them, the rows should one way be planted the same distance apart as corn; then the same treatment as to clean cultivation, and even water and mulching, as far as convenient, is desirable. On the selection of a field for strawberries, it is very important to choose one free from all kinds of seeds and roots not decomposed. MULCHING. This consists in covering the surface of the ground with something that is not injurious to the plant, to protect it from the intense heat of the sun or extreme cold. From one to four inches in depth is the usual custom; the latter depth for pear, peach, and other fruit trees. For the strawberry, we prefer, as soon as the plants 24 MULCHING. are set, at whatever season of the year, to cover the entire surface of the ground, including the walks, with tan bark, new or old, to the depth of one inch, care being taken that it is left very thin—only a slight coating—immediately around the crown of the plant. We have pursued this plan, and have never known a ' plant injured by it; on the contrary, they have been decidedly benefited. When using saw-dust, we have sometimes been a little troubled with mildew, but never with tan bark applied as above. Some of our most intelligent horticulturists say it is a specific manure for the strawberry, which others deny; we find it, at least, the best thing brought to our notice as amulch. It is excellent to retain moisture and keep the earth in fine condition under it; very few weeds will ordinarily trouble us, where the tan is one inch in thickness, and altogether it is excellent. Where tan cannot be obtained, saw-dust will do, if not applied too thick. Leaf-mould is very good, if the soil is not already too rich. Straw is good, but green rowen or fresh-cut grass, if the seeds are not ripe, is better still; any thing, in fact, not injurious, that is con- venient and adapted, can be used. WATER. yea WN ATE Ee EX. The strawberry has a great relish for good, clear, cold water. We have often seen them take a strong shower-bath at midday, in the face of the hottest sun in July, without shrmking. A slight sprinkle, just to lay the dust, does not satisfy them, but a thorough soaking is what they delight in—say a pailful of water to every six or eight plants, or every four feet square of earth. If you say “this calls for a great deal of hard work,” we answer then, ‘do not repeat it so often, but do it thoroughly whenever attempted.” A few weeks since, we sent a friend some plants of new and rare kinds. A drought prevailed, and we feared he would neglect them, so we called to see them, and found he had set out and sprinkled them in the lightest, most delicate manner possible. Another friend to whom we gave a few plants at the same dry time, gave them a thorough and repeated drenching, and saved all his plants. A garden engine is very convenient in a strawberry plot, for watering purposes, or a stream of water so situated as to irrigate, is better still, A water-ram, and water brought up in pipes, will accomplish the same thing. Ordinarily, during the bearing season, sufficient 26 CULTIVATION. rain falls, so that very little watering is needed: some seasons are so wet that no water is needed until the bearing season is over, and then the plants do not particularly require it; but a drought will soon compel the strawberry to cease bearing in ordinary soils. The remedy or preventive is water, water, every day, and sometimes every night and morning. The evening, just at sundown, is the best time to water plants; and in some cases it is desirable that the water should have been exposed to the sun and air before being applied, but we do not think this is necessary for the strawberry. OU IE EN AvP ON. Most persons bestow, erroneously, most of their labor in raising strawberries on their cultivation. On the contrary, if our directions so far are strictly fol- lowed, the work is mostly done, except gathering the fruit. We have very little work to do in the way of cultivation after planting, except watering and occa- sional pulling of weeds which appear through the tan, and neither of these ordinarily requires much time or labor. They must be kept clean and in good order, but we are very careful not to allow the hoe to be used nearer than eight inches to any full-grown plant, and, CULTIVATION. FF consequently, it is seldom or never used about the beds after the first month’s planting. The reason is, the numerous fibrous roots so interlace and fill the ground for a space of six or eight inches around the plant, coming so completely to the surface, that the use of - the hoe will cut off great numbers of these little roots, and we are unwilling to have our plants maimed in this way. It certainly greatly injures their bearing. The fork or spade should be kept at the same distance, for the same reason. The only time, during the year, we loosen the soil in our beds with the fork, is imme- diately at the close of the season of bearing, selecting the time when the ground is moist. And yet, we repeat, the strawberries must be kept clean; and the reader may here see a reason for all the minute and particular description we have given in the preparation. It needs to be thoroughly done, because it cannot well be remedied afterwards. The plants will not admit of freely working among them, except with the hand, if not kept at an unusual distance from each other, with- out largely reducing the crop of fruit. If our object is large and abundant fruit, the roots must not be disturbed. One qualification to the above: When new plants are set, unless prevented by mulching immediately, we, as often as every three days or week, for a month or so, hoe or rake the ground freely, and always stir 28 RENEWAL OF BEDS. the soil as close to the plants, as often, and as much as possible, only being cautious not to disturb the roots. RENEWAL OF BEDS. This should be done once in three or four years, and the same ground should be planted with corn or po- tatoes for one season, and receive an application of lime, ashes, and salt, as advised in the article on the prepa- ration of the ground, before it is again used for straw- berries. The bed might be made to bear well, by a careful renewal of the old plants by their runners, for ten or a dozen years, but this would require rather more skill in cultivation than most persons possess. Every year or two, if a strong runner has struck itself beside an old plant, we pull up the old plant instead of the runner, and are constantly thus renew- ing them. We always leave the best plants. The field cultivator has only to clean off the weeds, and prepare the soil in the spaces of three feet between the rows; allow the runners to cover that ground; then drive the cultivator or plough through, turning under the old row of plants; thin out his new ones to proper distances, and his system of renewal is complete. WINTER PROTECTION. 29 WINTER PROTECTION. Our experience is in favor of a slight winter pro- tection. It costs comparatively no time or expense, on the approach of severe winter weather, to hastily scat- ter a thin coat of straw or old leaves over the plants; and they come out in so much better condition in the spring, and even the hardiest kinds bear so much bet- ter crops for it, that we never neglect it. Like mulch- ing, almost any thing free from weeds, that will not smother them or mildew, will answer the purpose, but clean straw is preferable, except they need the decay- ing leaves. Some years ago, we had an aged neighbor, who stood almost unrivalled in the cultivation of the straw- berry. One season he set out, on the first of July, about one-fourth of an acre of fine Hovey’s Seedlings. He almost constantly and carefully worked among them with the hoe, the rake, and water-pot, and I never saw a plot of so fine strawberry-plants as these had become on the approach of winter. The old man was “very much set in his way,” and among the things his creed discarded, was mulching strawberries; so, against my repeated remonstrances, he left them for the winter without mulching, with his 30 EVER-BEARING STRAWBERRIES. usual preparation, which consisted in placing a half- inch deep of good earth around each plant, in a circuit, to the width of six or eight inches, leaving the surface scolloped inwards towards the centre of the plant. The winter proved a severe one, and the old man was saddened in the spring, to find his fine plants drawn out of the ground to the length of three and four inches, and laid flat on the earth. One-tenth part of the labor he bestowed in hilling his plants for winter, appropriated to covering them with a little loose straw, would have saved them all. EVER-BEARING STRAWBERRIES. The Bush Alpines have always borne a succession of crops during the season, when planted in the north- ern shade of a fence, and well taken care of, watered, mulched, &c. Some three or four years ago, the New-Orleans Pica- yune announced that Mr. Henry Lawrence, a gentle- man of that city, had succeded in obtaining a seedling, called the ‘‘Crescent Seedling,’ which bore an abund- ance of large fruit for a continuous period of six or eight months or more, from March to December. We wrote to Mr. Lawrence, and his answer confirmed all the paper had stated ; and he sent us in succession four \ EVER-BEARING STRAWBERRIES. 31 or five different importations of plants of the Crescent Seedling, by the steamer and otherwise, until at last we succeeded in causing them to grow, and awaited their bearing season, when, alas! they only bore a moderate crop, and ceased bearing as early as any other variety in our ground; thus proving a failure, as far as perpetual bearing was concerned, under our ordina- ry mode of cultivation. The plant has extraordinary vigor, a rampant staminate, exceeding all varieties we have ever seen in multiplying its runners. The ex- periment convinced us that it was not the variety, so much as the cultivation and soil, which gave it its con- tinual bearing properties. Some experiments since made with this variety, in soils so reduced as to be little else than coarse sand, favor this idea. Mr. Law- rence wrote me at the first, that he reduced his soil by three-fourths of pure river-sand; and, although I re- duced my garden-soil considerably, yet it remained still very much too rich for the Crescent Seedling to develop its perpetual properties. The various experi- ments, however, were by no means lost. An account from Mr. Lawrence’s pen will be found in our article B, in the Appendix. About this time, it was announced by the press that Charles A. Peabody, Esq., the horticultural editor of the Soil of the South, near Columbus, Georgia, had suc- ceeded, by reducing the soil, and with plenty of water, 382 EVER-BEARING STRAWBERRIES. in making two well-known northern varieties—the Large Early Scarlet, and Hovey’s Seedling—develop perpetual bearing qualities under the hot summer’s sun in Georgia, furnishing fruit in quantities, from March til January. It was but reasonable to conclude, if this was the case in Georgia and New-Orleans, much easier could we hope, by the same means, to extend our strawberry season north, durmg the months of July, August, into September. In October last, in an interview with Mr. Peabody, he gave it as his delibe- rate opinion that, by the process he detailed and pur- sued, we could easily have an abundance of fruit from our strawberry vines until frost came. We take plea- sure in inserting Mr. Peabody’s plan and directions in full, in his interesting articles, in the Appendix, A. On the 20th December last, Mr. Peabody took up a few plants in fruit from his garden, and placed them, with the soil attached, in a basket, and sent them by express to Messrs. J. M. Thorburn & Co., 138 Jolin street, New York. On their arrival, on Christmas day, they were well loaded with large, ripe Hoveys and Early Scarlets — unmistakably so—together with a large variety of green fruit, of all sizes, from that of a pea upwards to full-grown berries. They remained on exhibition in their windows some two weeks, when they were politely handed to us, and we had them potted in a green-house, with soil composed mostly of EVER-BEARING STRAWBERRIES, 83 sand. The plants all grew finely; in March they came into blossom, and in May into ripe fruit. The foliage was very small, but healthy. They continued in blos- som and bearing during the months of May, June, and July, without sending out a single runner, and some of the plants at the present time (the 14th of August) are in blossom, and have not started arunner. On one of the pots which had no runners started, we placed a very little rich soil, and in a week the plant threw up vigorous runners, caused by the slight addition to the richness of the soil. The inference we draw from all this is, that no variety is ever-bearing under our usual manner of treatment, but that most kinds can be so trained, that, with a soil reduced largely enough with sand, and only vegetable manures applied, and a plenty of water, and mulching when needed, they will continue to produce fruit until the approach of frost. The whole tend- ency of our experiments in strawberries is in this direc- tion. Professor Page has, in Washington City, it is stated, induced the Alice Maude to adopt the ever- bearing habit. Amateurs and others will do well to try the experi- ment on a small scale, until they perfectly succeed ; and then the large price of a dollar or more per quart, which the markets of New-York, Boston, and Philadel- phia will pay for such fruits in August, will amply 3 384 SEXUAL CHARACTER. repay for the production on a large scale. Learn well, by observation, all the habits and tendencies of the strawberry in this regard, and we think the thing can then be easily accomplished. SEXUAL CHARACTER. We now come to the great battle-ground of the giants, but will not enter the lists, if we may be per- mitted to quietly state a few things as our opinion, without intending to reflect upon, or having even re- mote reference to, any persons. It is very easy to see the manner in which some have been led into error, viz., the mixture, well-nigh universal, of different kinds of strawberries—an error productive of untold injury to successful cultivation. We have never seen two kinds of strawberry that might safely run in the same bed. On no account suffer it. The poorest kind will multiply its runners the most ra- pidly, and drive the well-bearing plants from the bed; particularly is this the case, where that poor kind is a staminate. We think the direction given by the late Mr. Downing and others, to place the staminates on each end of the same bed, with the pistillates in the centre, an unfortunate one, for the beds and the plants are usually very soon destroyed in SEXUAL CHARACTER. Bo that way. We are very particular to place our stami- nates a greater distance from the pistillates: if 30 feet to 60 feet off, it is better. The bees and wind carry the pollen, and opposite sides of the garden, if the dis- tance is 100 feet, will, we think, be found near enough to answer the same purpose. Neither would we allow pistillates, such as Hovey’s Seedling and Burr’s New Pine, to run together, but be very particular to keep each kind distinct and apart. We think it is Mr. Longworth who has stated, that if we place a single staminate plant, like the Large Harly Scarlet, in the centre of a productive bed of a pure pistillate variety, in less than two or three years, that one plant will drive every good fruit-bearing plant out of the bed. This is one reason why so many strawberry beds fail after the first bearing season; so we repeat in the strongest manner, get pure plants—difficult, we know —and on no account permit any two kinds to run to- gether ; place boards on edge between them, or in some way protect them from each other. After this episode on a very practical point, we may be permitted to say, there are strawberry plants we call staminate, because they exhibit to the eye very distinct stamens. Our plate will illustrate this. Another kind we call pistillate, because the naked eye can discover developed in the blossom only the pistils. Most of our intelligent horticulturists assure 36 SEXUAL CHARACTER. us, that the best staminates will only produce a part of a fair crop of fruit, while the pistillate varieties will produce no perfect fruit at all, without being impregnated by some staminates in the vicinity ; but when thus impregnated, the pistillates produce an abundance of the finest fruit. The interesting and accurate experiment of Mr. Huntsman, in the Appendix, C, sets this matter in a very clear light. Some of the staminates of recent introduction, like Walker’s Seedling and Longworth’s Prolific, are so very desirable, that every cultivator should have one or both; it is, therefore, only important to notice the presence of the staminates in every collection of va- rieties, keep them distinct, and no sacrifice is required to conform to this theory, which seems to be pretty universally established. Mr. Longworth’s article in the Appendix, D, gives an interesting account of its discovery. Another series of plants are called Hermaphrodite— like Longworth’s Prolific—because both stamens and pistils are in a greater or less extent developed, and they are represented to bear well, being alone. The great war that has raged so fiercely on the bor- ders of the strawberry kingdom during the past year or two, has been on the point, whether staminates ever change to pistillates, or wice versé. For many years SEXUAL CHARACTER. 37 we have noticed, with scrupulous care, these distinct characteristics of the various strawberries when in blossom, and we have never seen the first symptoms of Fig. 1. Fie. 2. Fie 8. Fig. 1. A perfect flower furnished with stamens and pistils. a, the stamens, 0. the pistils, hermaphrodite. Fig. 2. A staminate or male flower. Fig. 8. A pistillate or female flower. Fic. 4. Fig. 4. A perfect flower, with a stamen and pistil detached. a, the anther. b, the filament. g, the pistil. change in any variety. We do not know that a change in open-air cultivation is now much contended for from any quarter. We think the mixing of plants causes staminate and pistillate blossoms to be seen to- gether. In forcing, we are told, by high authority, that some plants, like the melon, &c., change their sexual character, and why not the strawberry? We do not know that this point, that the strawberry does so, has yet been fully established. 388 FORCING. The English varieties are mostly staminates, and bear fruit of extraordinary size and flavor; but we think not in so large quantities as some of our pistil- lates. Certainly all the English staminates prove comparatively only second-rate in our soil and cli- mate. FORCING. On this point our experience is very limited, hav- ing been confined to small experiments during the past winter: we therefore give the best information we have been able to obtain, from the highest English authorities. In the London Gardener's Chronicle, edited in the Horticultural Department by Professor Lindley, we find the following directions from that most eminent horticulturist, Mr. Paxton : ‘Select for this purpose, in the middle of August, a sufficient number of the best runners from approved kinds to have choice from, and plant them six inches apart, in beds, upon a strong border in a dry and shel- tered situation. As soon as the leaves have withered, mulch them lightly with well-rotted manure, and if very severe weather occur, protect them for the time with fern or litter. They must be kept the following FORCING. 39 spring free from weeds and runners, removing also any flowers as they appear. Towards the latter end of May or beginning of June, whenever dull or rainy weather may occur, remove them carefully into forty- eight-sized pots. It is optional with the grower, whether one, two, or three plants are put in one pot, according to his object being quality or quantity ; but we, desiring fine fruit in preference to number, only place one of the strongest or two of the weaker in one pot, using enriched melon soil, or turfy loam. Place them, when potted, in a situation where they can be readily shaded for a short time, and receive regular supplies of water if necessary. About the latter end of July, or early in August, these pots will be filled with roots, when the plants must be repotted into flat thirty-two-sized pots, usually termed strawberry pots, and at this time plunged in old tan or coalashes. The best manner of plunging them we find to be, forming beds wide enough to contain five rows of pots, when plunged, upon a hard or gravelly surface, to prevent them rooting through, the sides supported by slabs of the same width as the depth of the pots, and filling them up with old tan or ashes; the plants remain here until wanted to take in, and are easily protected from severe frosts. It will be found an excellent plan to preserve the latest forced plants, which are not much exhausted, for forcing the first the next season ; these, 40 FORCING. from their long period of rest, and well-ripened buds, are predisposed to break earlier and stronger than the others; some of them, if the autumn is moist, will be excited, and produce flowers, which must be imme- diately pinched out; they should have their balls carefully reduced, and be repotted in larger pots early in August, protecting them from the late autumnal rains, and from frost.” “For succession,’ Mr. Paxton says, ‘‘ strong runners are taken up in September, and planted about six inches apart, in manured and well-prepared beds, four feet wide, in a somewhat sheltered situation ; there they are allowed to remain until the followmg July, during which period they must be kept very clean from weeds, have the flowers and runners regularly pinched off, and be watered whenever likely to suffer from drought. About the middle of July they are potted in small thirty-two-sized pots, two plants in a pot, taking the greatest care that neither roots nor leaves are damaged in the operation, and an important part of it is to press the earth firmly about them; the soil used is two parts loam to one of well-rotted dung. Beds which will hold five or six rows of pots are then formed in the following manner: Level the surface of the ground, and spread upon it a layer of coal ashes; above which must be nailed firmly slabs, or any rough boards, as wide as the depth of the pots, which are FORCING. 41 then to be plunged to the rim in spent bark or ashes. All that they will here require is attention to watering when necessary, and a slight protection with fern, or other light covering, during severe frosty weather. I always preserve from 300 to 400 of the latest forced plants of the Above description, and after having care- fully reduced their balls, repot them in large thirty- two-sized pots in July, treating them afterwards pre- cisely as the others. I find these, by having their buds formed early, (through the slight forcing they have received,) and becoming very strong, are admirably adapted for the first crop, and always repay me for the extra trouble. Begin forcing with a temperature of 40°, increasing to 50° when in bloom, and to 552 when ripening.” “Mr. Brown, gardener to Lord Southampton, at Whittlebury Lodge, near Towcester, says, that Mr. Paxton’s method of preparing strawberry plants for forcing is a good one where time and trouble are of no consequence : but for the last fifteen years he has adopted a plan which answers well, and by which good strong plants are procured in one month from the present year’s runners. “The compost used is good strong loam, well mixed with rotten dung from the hot-bed linings; twenty- four-sized pots are the best for Keene’s Seedlings, and thirty-twos for Grove End Scarlets. The latter variety 3% 42 FORCING. answers for early forcing better than any other sort, when strawberries are wanted by the end of March. “Having filled the pots with the compost, they are removed at once to the strawberry quarters, and ar- ranged on each side of the rows, amongst the runners. The middle of July, when the plants are émitting roots, is the proper time to begin the operation of layering: having previously prepared a quantity of pegs, the runners that are rooted into the ground are carefully removed, and their roots inserted in the pots, and pegged down. Put three plants into the twenty-four pots, and one in the thirty-twos; they immediately begin growing, being supported by the mother plant, and will only require occasional watermg in dry weather. - “When the plants are well rooted, which is in about one month, detach them from the old plants, and remove to their winter-quarters. ‘Beds are prepared for them with a bottom of coal ashes, and they are plunged in old tan; each bed sur- rounded with a stratum of coal ashes six inches wide, and as high as the top of the pots, which prevents worms from working amongst them.” SEEDLINGS. 43 a SEEDLINGS. Since the introduction of Hovey’s Seedling, this department of strawberry culture has had new life and vigor infused into it, and has resulted in affording high gratification to those engaged in it, and proved of decided benefit to our country. This fruit is so soon and so easily raised from seed, that the process invites to a very attractive series of experiments. Almost any one can experiment in a small way ; and the person who shall produce a straw- _ berry of the size of Hovey’s Seedling, or of the size and productiveness of M‘Avoy’s Extra Red, combined with the exquisite flavor of Burr’s New Pine, will be a benefactor. Perhaps the easiest way is to select the largest ripe berries of the best class of pistillates, raised in close proximity to one of the best staminates, and crush them in a bed of pure sand, mix them, and let the seeds dry and ripen for two weeks or a month; then sow them in light soil, in a partially shaded spot in the garden, carefully water, and in winter protect them with a covering of straw; in spring transplant them, one plant in a place two feet apart; carefully remove all runners until the plants have borne; select the best 44 CLASSIFICATION. for further trial, and throw the rest away. + ' iz Fe : He ie ° shor, . — ‘1, eta Litag tt ITE wie en Ve] cae i $t Ngad orTidew ts + oe % ) bo a eae, gee tenn, Om one tre, M, eee ha “~ ~ . piney tee ” ey ™: oeet we. ees Nheig rg Nav 5 eens rr nee: nO ene nee nome ee Negrete 4 ): Nednbesonn ti ltg bh aaag Ob! 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