THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 201 



STEAWBERRTES IN SMALL GARDENS. 



BX JOHN SCOTT, 

 Merriott Nurseries, Crewkerne, Somerset. 



IWING to the drought, the strawberry crop has not been 

 so heavy this season as usual; nevertheless, on ordinary 

 good soils, and also where the means have existed tor 

 ft%^^ supplying the beds rather copiously with water the 

 ^^m S Vas" reached a fair size, and has been of excellent 

 Quality It would be a waste of time, a waste of space, and an undue 

 tax upon threader's patience, to say much m praise of this Iruit. 

 All who read these renlarks will be prepared to acknowledge it to 

 be one of the most delicious fruits grown ^^t-^^-^^^^ J. ^^J,^ 

 country and also one of the most useful lor preserving. It will not, 

 TwevJ;, be amiss to say, that to have «t--be-ies m perfe^ 

 you mu^t have a bed of your own Irom which to gather ion can 

 then have the fruit in the freshest possible condition, m a pertect 

 fate of ripeness and possessing that delightful aroma peculiar only 

 ' rawbTrSs that hLe not had to be packed «-! to pass tbrough 



the hands of the dealer and the fr^^^^^^'^^ffltu Sher^ it very 

 To form a strawberry-bed is by no means dif&cult, ^/^ .J^^^^^^f/^ 

 exnensive even if all the plants have to be purchased, lor runners oi 

 S' he eVabHsied kinds'may be had a. prices --giBg from three 

 shillings and sixpence to five shillings per hundred The atter- 

 LanLgement is no't likely to be an undue tax upon the time nd he 

 Bkillof the amateur, for it really resolves ^tselt into keeping tbe 

 bed free from weeds and surplus runners, ^^J/^^ P^^^^^^^f^J,""^^ 

 material underneath to keep the fruit clean, ^he beds cannotje 

 left wholly to themselves, for when they are neglected tbey become 

 BO choked up with runners, as to render the production of good 



^^XSgtw highly appreciated is the fruit and how prod^c 

 tive a bed is when it receives the small amount of attention neemul 

 to keep it in proper order, I would strongly recommend the forma- 

 tion ot a good-sized bed in all villa gardens ot a quarter of an acre 

 '"'sretverslty of opinion exists a-ngst cultivators as tt 

 best time for forming new beds. Some contend hat the best resu s 

 are obtained by planting towards the end ot the su^;^;^"^™; 

 others support spring planting. Th>s difierence is m a large -^ 

 exnlained bv the fact that beds may be formed at both seasons wix^ 

 he' c rtaint-; of the plants doing .4ll. But tl^i^ --h -y be a d 

 beds formed in the month of July, or as soon aite wanis as st^on„_ 

 runners can be had, will produce nice crops the f°\l«Yf f^fJ^^^J^^^;: 

 but snrine-planted beds will not come into bearing until the loiiow 

 in. 8 Jmme twelvemonths. Runners planted now will require rather 

 SaTtSon at first than those planted in ^P-^.^^^'-^^:,^^ J 

 will be dried up, and make but little progress ^ ^^yT''^, , ^'^''^ 

 Require a modSate watering every alternate day during the con- 



July, 



