144 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. f 



and two incliPS in diameter must be made, at intervals of two feet, tlirongLoiit 

 tbe bed, and kept open for tbe purpose of introducing a bhmt stick, say tbe 

 end of a broom-bandle, wbicb can be inserted to tbump on tbe bottom. Tbe 

 object id to produce a rumbling noise, like a mole burrowing. Tbeir instinct 

 to sbun moles drives them immediately to tbe surface, wbere tbey can be de- 

 stroyed. 



Ou the approach of winter the whole bed should have a slight covering of 

 hay or straw, about one inch thick, and secured in place with pea-bush. Ic 

 spring, when fair weather sets in, they should be carefully set out in rows, 

 eighteen inches apart, and will, with care, become vigorous plants, and a ma- 

 jority of them will yield fruit the next season ; and when the first and most 

 perfect berries ripen, gather and prepare them with sand, and plant them as 

 above. The great probability is that tbe result will be productive of large ber- 

 ries, which will be as good as common berries, if not better, with a per cent, of 

 something extraordinary. History teaches us that most of our best varieties 

 have originated by hybridization of different species, also by crossing of dif- 

 ferent varieties, and, probably, with tbe means we have at hand, we can obtain 

 varieties characteristic of tbeir ancestors, with a shade of improvement. All 

 our most approved fruits have originated from a continuous planting of im- 

 proved seeds. Why not the strawberry? 



Propagation by runners is by no means important. Many grave errors are 

 committed from ignorance of the character of the plants. The strawberry, like 

 the cabbage-plant, requires to be transplanted. From observation, it will be 

 seen that the set from a runner has formed its roots mostly on one side, and, 

 if not transplanted, will send out its foot-stalks on one side also, and will not 

 produce side shoots or crowns with regularity, as a renewal of the plants 

 By transplanting, some of the roots are a little shortened, which is a guarantee 

 of a well-balanced plant, and an aggregation of plants will more certainly take 

 place to its profit. Any plant that has never borne fruit may be transplanted 

 profitably. But older plants should not be transplanted as a renewal of bear- 

 ing, unless we wish to perpetuate a special kind, and obtain runners therefrom 



Obtainment of runners or sets is not less important. When a runner ad- 

 vances a certain distance it takes root, and as it elongates, forms its succession 

 of sets to a considerable distance from the parent plant. At the same time a 

 joint is formed, about midway between each elongation, where a secondary 

 branch will start and produce sets. These sets produce lateral branches, each 

 forming other sets, which will grow rather vigorously to the detriment of the 

 original. If these laterals, as well as the sets of the secondary branches, are 

 used in the formation of new beds, they will always be behind, let the cultiva- 

 tion be ever so perfect. The difterence is perceptible both in the bearing and 

 the quantity of fruit, and if we propagate offsets from these plants we shall 

 soon have a degenerate bed of the same variety — a fact which I fear has too 

 often prevailed among honest venders of strawberry plants for want of knowl- 

 edge, until most of our best old.varietics are cried down as having "run out." 

 How often has Mr. Longwortb been written to to obtain from him personally 

 tbe genuine " Longworth's prolific," when the applicants already have the 

 genuine variety, though degenerated. " Hovey's seedling," early in its his- 

 tory, produced the finest berries we have ever had. Why has it run out ? 

 The cause is doubtless the same. I had a bed of " LongAvorth's prolific." 

 Some of the plants produced berries weighing thirty-two to the pound. The 

 renewal bed which I establishd afterwards confounded me, for there were not 

 ten per cent, of the plants that came up to the original bed. The fVuits of 

 these were small, sour berries. I did not impeach the "honesty of the nursery- 

 men," but determined to investigate tbe cause. I succeeded to the truth of 

 the above practice. It is already perceptible in " Triomphe de Gand." 

 '•Wilson's seedling" is partly an exception; it is the only plant that readily 



