Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1881 — Strawberry Culture. [ARTICLE]

Strawberry Culture.

Mathew Crawford—la Green's Fruit Grower. The Strawberry will grow in almost any locality, but it is not beat to plant it on very steep hillsides where the anil, Is apt tn wash; and eapecltily not near large tree*; as they draw the moisture out of the ground to a great distance. Any soil that will produce corn or potatoes is suitable for the strawtwrry. It should Is rich, but it wiii produce something-of a cmp'if it has any fertility at all. It should be moist, but not wet; for the strawberry needs more water thau any other crop we raise, and yet it-will not flourish in a wet place. Where the ground is shallow It will require mulching or a very favorable season. The soil should be plowed as deep as it ean be without turning up auy pour subsoil, and the more thoroughly It is pMjverixed the better. It sometimes becomes necessary to plow twice and harrow repeatedly. - . * Plants may beset in the Spring from the time growth commences tTTt they are iu bloom, and in the Fall when, ever young plants can be obtained. All Urge plantations are set in the Bering, in the North. Tire roots are then hard and ripe, and there are but few leaves to draw the moisture out of the plants. They will bear being out of the ground belter at that time, and will hare an opportunity to get established before the hot, dry weather comes.

Sfrijo Planting.—ln taking up plants in the apring; cut off* all dead leavyg and runners, and shorten the roots to three inches- Put the plants in a pail with water enough to cover the roots.|and take each out as wanted. —not dropping them along (he row- to lie iu the wiud. Set the.plautsas deep as they grew before, in no case covering the crown., The roots should ba spread out in fan shape, and the earth -j-if not too wet—pressed firmly about them. When grown In matted rows, the the rows should be four or five feet a part, and plants oue or (wo feet in the row, according to the habits of the variety. All blossoms and runners are to be cut off till July. . By that time the plants are strong and able to send out several large runners at a time This is a great improvement on letting the first runners take root, for the old plants should have sometime to recover from transplanting. After the plants are allowed U> run. they can only be cultivated one way.—narrowing the cultivator as the stri]>s of plants gtA wider.

In hill culture, the rows are three feet apart and the plants from twelve to eighteen inches in the row. This gives an opportunity to cultivate with ahorse, (They may be set closer in a garden.) This is a very satisfactory way to. raise strawberries, and auucess depends largely upon cutting off the runners as soon as they appear. If this is neg'ected, the <dd| plant becomes exhauated, and is unable to pro dues much fruit, even if ft survives winter. It is uot uncommon fora single plant, or hill, to produce two quarts in a season. Various' plans have been adopted for cutting runners rapidly, but one of the beat is to get children to do the work with the knife —taking the runners in one ha..d and cutting them off with the otherRunueis are ouly sent out from one side of a plant, uhtil it ha*, developed ‘ several crowns; then each crown will send out its runners from the side farthest away from tire old plant. -In setting nut the plants, if vou wish the runners to grow In any jutr ticular direction, set the side from which the old runner was cut in the •l>posite direc lon. We ar* permitted to publ.sb the following extracts from a letter of Assistaut burgeon Dale, United Sts toe Navy, to Dr. Washburn. It is ibe first aotkes of the expedition we have seen, and fan) beof iMereal to many of our readers.

D. C„ Feb. 27, 1881. I. B Wash wan, M. D„ fioaaoelaer. Afy Dear Doctor:— As I have woe news of importance to communicate, I’ll moke base to write it. We have made up an expedition here that is calculated to take' the scientific world by storm. We epeak of it as the “Green Scientific and Astronomical Expedition,” and it will be known in history as the “Osama of the Palos.’’ lam to be Surgeon and Naturalist. Captain Green and his officers (eight of us) will leave San Francisco per. Steamer “City of Pokin'* April 2d, and will proceed to Yokohoma, Japan. There we are to meet our ownsteamer, the United States Steamer “Paleo” and commence our work, ?., Captain Green will bo engaged in settling queatinns of longitude and latitude and will work in connection with the. various ocean and overland cables. Stations will be established in Siberia, Japan, China, on the Phillipine and various East India Islands. By looking at a map you will bo able to mark out our oruiae, Yokoboma, Vladjvaa-/ ♦out, Siberia, Nagasaki,- Japan, Shanghai,

Looehu* IsUads, Formosa, Hoag Kong. Phtllipine Islaqd*. south along the Chia* coast te Singapore, thenco areund Borne* into (he oceanic group sad beck to Hon* Kong. The cruise will extend over one year, perhaps eighteen moi’ii. We writ (ben return home by the wny of India and Europe. I go ont almort wholly in the interest of the Smithsonian instil ate. I have beet furnished by that. Institution with a meet eompletWbacM es eehwtiSe apparatus for dredging and making collect, on* in natural history. I take my own ap-Hheeary, who i* really au assistant for the Smithsonian and who will be invaluable in the proposed work. I>m also having tbe support of the Navy Department and have been furnished with everything that will be of the - leajt use to me. The Surgeon General gave me a S2OO microscope and a large library of scientific books Much of our cruise will be entirely new ground for the naturalist. You can say to Mrs, Washburn that 1 shall have a professional taxidermist with me and we intend making as full a collection of bird* a* we can from Sibera to India, aud I shall certainly not forget her. 1 sent you a copy of our late report just (<> let you see what tbo Navy can do. You wtll see the “Paloe" described in it. She 'is small but vary comfortable end just the beat for our use, a* we can go up rivers or in near shore. Tbe inaugurati in will'be grand. We attended the opening of the museum last night. The decorations are about complete. The ball room will be a brilliant sight. The city is jammed and more are coming With regard* to all, Your* truly,

F. C. DALE.