The Strawberry.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 356, 3 April 1889, Page 4

The Strawberry.

The above i& the most important spring fruifc, and to obtain good crops, combined with quidiby, the soil in which the plants are grown should be liberally dealt with. The strawberi'y succeeds in almost all soils, but where the soil is of retentive nature there the tinest fruit will be obtained, especially if plenty of manure is placed in the ground. To continue growing good crops a small break should be planted every season so as to have one and two-year-old plants fruiting every season. Alter bhe f-econd season the plants do not, as a rule, give sufficient crop to make it advisable to try them for the third crop. Where I have seen the best crops grown was under the following system of treatment : Early in March a piece of ground was trenched two spits deep. Plenty of well-x-otted manure was placed about threo inches under the surface while trenching:. The planting-out took place after the hrst heavy rains received either in the latter portion of March or in the begiuning of AprH. In season when there was nob heavy ram 1 have seen the roots of the runners placed in a mixture of puddled clay and cow dung The plant* were put out with this wet mixture adhering to their roots. Immediately after a row was planted, all the plants were watered, giving about two quarts of water to each plant. This quantity ot water saturated the soil to some considerable depth immediately , around each plant. Once a week afterwards the plants should receive a similar Avaterinqj till the dry weather is over. Wheie the new plantation is treated as above they should make strong iruiting plants for next season, and should produce the finest and largest fruit. As soon as all the runners required for planting this season are taken from the plints that have fruited for one year, they should receive a thorough overhaul. All runners and other debris should be cut off each plant and cleared away. Well-rotted manure should be wheeled between the rows and left in convenient heaps, then the soil between the row s should be dug, using up the manure as the digging proceeds. While digging interfere as little as possible with the roois. If the above is properly done now it will only be necessai v to keep weeds under with the hoe until the fruiting period comes on again. The old plants that have fruited for two seasons should be trenched down into the soil, giving a good supply of manure, as the strawberry plants will have left it in a poor condition. The old strawberry ground should where possible be manured and cropped with other crops for a few years before it is planted again with strawberries.