156 



IRISH GARDENING 



A Few Notes on Strawberries. 



Taken at iiuk Nukskkiks iukixi; iin; 



SkASOX OI- 11)1-- 



THE iVuitini^ beason ol H)ij was an abuoinially 

 early one, owiui; lo tht' exceptionally hoi 

 weather in the early part ol the year. Straw- 

 berries, on the whole, have not fruited at all well : 

 this we attribute to the exceptional droug"ht oi last 

 season, and the plants were so parched-up that it was 

 an impossibility for tlieni lo form proper IVnitiny 

 crowns. We should tiiink not more than a third of the 

 average crop was produced this season. This shortage 

 is also accounted (or to sonic extent b\' the spring 

 frosts cutting the 

 cent re blooms o( 

 many of the e;irl\' 

 var'ieties : the later 

 ones escaped, as they 

 were uol so forward ; 

 therefore, we should 

 strongly rcconimentt 

 to plant some of the 

 later sorts as well as 

 the early ones, and a 

 longer succession ol 

 fruit is thus seemed. 

 !■' I" o m i> u r e x - 

 perience, extending 

 over many years, we 

 are convinced that 

 the great secret of 

 success in strawberry 

 culture is a chatige 

 ol slock. We can- 

 not loo stroiigU 

 thvcll upon this poini. 

 -as we do not think 

 strawberry growers 

 are aware how essi*n- 

 ti.'d this is. 



Another point we 

 should like lo dwell 

 upon is the necessity 

 of not keeping plants 

 loo long; two seasons is ample lor most varieties, .it 

 most three. Some varieties do best on the .annual 

 system — thai is, planting thickly in beds and only allow 

 iiig them to fruit one season. This more particularly 

 applies to Koyal Sovereign, as we find the finest frviit 

 is secured from the maiden plants, but if requireil to be 

 left the following season every other plant should be 

 thinned out and the remainder left. 



We have received many complaints as to the blind- 

 ness of strawberry plants this year, and after repeated 

 experiments we are convinced that this is not usually 

 constitutional, but simply the fault of climatic con- 

 ditions. The reason of the numerous complaints this 

 year is undoubtedly last season's droughl, which did not 

 .allow the young runners to form proper fruiting crowns. 



On no account should we advise blind pl.inls to be 

 chopped up, neithei- do we lind that the i uniieis Ironi 

 these plants will themselves be blind. 



riie following varieties have done exceptionally well 

 this year : —The Bedford, we find, is one of the finest 

 and best ilax'oured maincrop strawberries we have yet 

 raised. Laxton's Latest has also done exceptionally 

 well; the new Utility is a very fine variety. Among 

 the older ones, Royal .Sovereign still holds its own as 

 the best early. For flavour. Laxton's Pineapple is 

 e.xcellent, although not so large as some other sorts. 

 Givon's Late Prolific is very large in the first fruits, but 

 we find it has a habit of not finishing well— that is, the 

 later fruits on the truss do not swell out properly ; 

 what appears lo be a very heay\- crop when in bloom is 

 disappointing when the gathering season arrives. 

 Of the new ones. King George \'. is undoubtedly the 



forcing strawberry of the futiiie 



1-: 1 



It \ I' II I A I' I 

 iFliol..;.4nilihetl: 



N \ A I I I <1 

 .1 tihisneviii.) 



; it is very much like 

 Royal Sovereign in 

 ippearance, but is 

 better flavoured and 

 quite as prolific, and 

 fgrown side by side 

 an be forced nearly 

 a week earlier. Vor 

 ri ;i \ ^> u r , the new 

 Oueeii is really The 

 One en of Straw- 

 len ies ; it is ;dso 

 nonderfulU" prolific, 

 uul will grow almost 

 iiiywhere. The Earl 

 !■■ also averyrichl)- 

 eoloured and highly- 

 llavoured variety, and 

 can be best described 

 IS an improved Vis- 

 I' ^Mi n I e s s. Of the 

 Perpetual varieties. 

 Laxton's I'erpetual is 

 undoubtedly the best 

 itul largest, and is 

 iVuiting exceptionally 

 well with us here now. 

 I lom our experience 

 of \arieties in \;ii-ious 

 ilistrii-ts wi' would 

 s I r o n g 1 y m\\ ise 

 g r o w e r s to t i* \- 

 var\' \ei'\' nuuli in 



various sorts, as striiwberries 

 dilferent localities and soils. 



The great success in strawberry culture is to sec that 

 the soil is thoroughly well manured and deeply dug, 

 ;iik1 on no account should they be placed on ground 

 that has previciush' been plantetl with strawberries, foral 

 least three or four years. The plants should ;dso be 

 made very firm by treading each one carefully round 

 with the foot after it is planted. I'nless this is done the 

 winter frosts are liable to lifl neNvK'-planted runners out 

 of the ground. It is a wise precaution to look overlate- 

 pl.'inted I'unners in spring. W'c do not i"ecommend deep 

 digging between the strawberries on the older beds, but 

 pricking the soil over two or three inches deep lo 

 bury the rubbish is tpiile suflicient. .-Ml runners 

 should also be cut olT the plants as they appear, as 

 !lie\ oiih iliaw o\\ the strength i>f the crowns. 



L.WION Hui.ll tll-.Ks. 



