STRAWBEKRY CULTURE. 145 



reproduces itself from' it3 seed or offsets. Some years since I obtained from 

 Dr. C. W. Grant tbe genuine Bartlett. Some of the individual plants bore tbe 

 best fruit I bave ever seen of tbat variety. Tbe otbcrs sbow signs of degen- 

 eracy. I propagated offsets from tbe perfect plants, and obtained uniform 

 plants, wbile tbose tbat were taken indiscriminately proved irregular, altbougb 

 tbe cultivation was tbe same tbrougbout. So of otber varieties under tbis 

 mode of practice, wbicb establisbes tbe facts incoutrovertibly. 



Persons in purchasing strawberry plants are not able to detect tbe differ- 

 ence at tbe time, but wben tbe plants are iu bearing it is perceived tbat some 

 of tbe individual plants are beavily laden witb large berries, equally propor- 

 tioned to tbe capacity of ^e plants. Otbers bave two or tbree quite tine ber- 

 ries ; tbe otbers small, tbinly set, and scattering. Tbis difference is certainly 

 attributable to tbe above cause. 



It is tbe best practice to establish a bed of plants, for tbe purpose of run- 

 ners, in some out-of-tbe-way place on tbe lot, and so direct tbe running vine 

 tbat it can be readily seen as it progresses. Never allow a secondary vine to 

 take place from tbe point of prolongation between tbe sets ; and tbe result will 

 be tbat eacb set, let it be first, second, fiftb, or twentieth, formed on tbe origi- 

 nal prolongation, will produce equally one witb another. 



After the first set has taken root and formed, tbe second set cf tbe prolon- 

 gation, with its roots, the tendril of tbe first, may be separated from close up 

 to tbe parent, and tbe end inserted in tbe earth some six or eight inches, and 

 tbe ground packed hard around it to prevent exudation of tbe sap. And so 

 on with the others as they advance, thereby affording an opportunity to trans- 

 plant them as often as they mature. The space left between each plant admits 

 of its being taken up witb its ball of earth attached. Thus eacb individual 

 plant goes on increasing, (not forgetting to allow the mother plant to issue 

 new separate prolongations as they appear tbe while,) and by fall will bave 

 grown vigorously, and will yield abundance of fruit as ample reward for tbe 

 additional labor, wbicb no lover of strawberry culture should consider a hard- 

 ship. 



If we wish to transplant sets obtained from a distance during tbe summer, 

 we at tbe time of planting cover them with a board about nine inches in width, 

 by placing blocks about six inches high at intervals along the row to sustain 

 it in place, at the same time keeping tbe plants well watered. At night set 

 the boards to one side, tbat tbe plants may benefit by the dews of night, to be 

 replaced at sunrise, or left off iu cloudy weather until they take root said 

 recover. 



The vrhole bed of plants in the following year of bearing will present a dis- 

 play of well-balanced plants, bearing fruit to the utmost capacity. 



It is not the best practice to allow plants of a well-established bed to make 

 sets for a renewal. It binders tbe cultivation just at the time when it is most 

 important, to eay nothing of the unsigbtliness and injury to the plants. 



Forcing, not unlike hybridization, if followed up to the strict directions of 

 some authors, would be attended witb considerable expense, not suited to the 

 convenience of a great many, to say nothing of the time required to apply 

 them. My object in this treatise is to convey to tbe million the most economi- 

 cal as well as the easiest way of accomplishing tbis desirable object, and at tbe 

 game time not to depait from tbe principles by which tbe whole thing is gov- 

 ei"ned, 



Fnst, then, if we wish to have strawberries from two weeks to a month 

 earlier in tbe outdoor plantation, having the plants arranged as stated in garden 

 culture, the rows running east and west, early in January or Febniary we 

 raise on the south side of tbe rows, on the edge of tbe alley, a board, six inchca 

 broad, set edgewise. On the north side we raise another board, about twelve 

 indies high, ako corresponding boards at each end, all secured in pohitiou by 



