176 . THE FLORIST. 



of two feet six inches at least betwixt them, to give them the full 

 advantage of sun and air, also for the greater convenience of weed- 

 ing (hand-weeding), watering, regulating runners, and gathering the 

 fruit ; and do not tread the ground near the plants any more than 

 you can help in doing this, nor dig, fork, or hoe amongst them ; nor 

 clip their foliage at any time, except of dead leaf-stalks, for the sake 

 of neatness. Water them immediately after planting, lightly but pro- 

 fusely; and continue to water them frequently as may be needful, till 

 they are firmly rooted, and afterwards, if the weather be dry ; look 

 them over daily, and let all autumn runners (also spring and summer 

 runners, except your own supply) be cut with scissors, or pinched off 

 as they make their appearance ; and do not fail to exercise your ut- 

 most diligence at all times, particularly in March and April, to de- 

 stroy every snail among them, or any where else in your garden, for 

 they are your greatest enemy in fruiting- time ; ten or a dozen young 

 ducks, about a fortnight or three weeks old, will, in moist weather, 

 soon do this effectually; which having done, spread the grass cut 

 from your lawns, or moss, or tanners' spent bark, neatly about them, 

 it will keep the fruit clean, and watering will not be required quite so 

 frequently as if the sun could act upon the surface of the mould. By 

 planting thus early, and sparing no possible pains to encourage their 

 growth, you will obtain fine vigorous and well-rooted plants the 

 first autumn ; and this may be considered your greatest achievement 

 towards success in producing a large crop of beautiful Strawberries 

 the first season after planting. 



Upon this system of culture I have grown some of the magnificent 

 fruit of Myatt's British Queen more than two ounces each, and of 

 Knight's Elton an immense crop, and nearly as large. The fruit of 

 the first season is generally the finest ; the second, remarkably abun- 

 dant and nearly as fine; but your plantations must always be re- 

 newed as early as possible after gathering the fruit of the second 

 season ; for if you allow them to remain for a third year's fruiting, 

 you will always find them a stumpy mass of unsightly stools that 

 will seldom produce half a crop, and having become densely crowded 

 and shaded with leaves, will, in a cold and wet season (which is 

 always fatal to the Strawberry crop), rot upon their trusses before 

 they are half ripe. The same flat of ground will do for a continu- 

 ance with most Strawberries ; which, on renewing with plants, must 

 always be dug and well stirred up the whole depth, and a little fresh 

 soil and some well-chopped turf or manure added ; but the Elton, 

 being a late Strawberry, will sometimes require planting in an- 

 other place before the present crop is ripe and gathered ; or another 

 very excellent system for providing yourself with plants must be re- 

 sorted to, viz. take as many four-inch pots as you have occasion for 

 plants, sink them level with the ground, fill them with your compost, 

 and peg down a runner upon each, in the manner before instructed ; 

 you can by this method, at your convenience, later in the season, 

 turn out the plants with the balls entire, and plant them upon the old 

 ground that you have newly prepared for them. Watering rather 

 profusely after the sun has left them (not late) must never be ne- 



