202 THE FLORAL WOKLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



tinuance of dry weather, until they are nicely establiahed. The 

 simplest course is to plant in rows two feet apart, and to put the 

 plants eighteen inches from each other in the rows. The gathering 

 of the fruit will be facilitated by allowing a space thirty inches in 

 width between every second row. 



A rather deep-holdiug loam is undoubtedly the most suitable for 

 strawberries, but tbey do well in all kinds of soil, provided they are 

 not very light or excessively heavy. Soil which has been trenched 

 deeply and dressed liberally with manure in the winter previous, is 

 undoubtedly the most suitable in which to plant strawberries ; and 

 if a piece of ground in a suitable position has been prepared as here 

 described, and cropped with early potatoes, it should be taken pos- 

 session of, for by forking it over the surface it will be in a capital 

 state for the reception of the strawberry plants. 



Until the following spring, no attention will be required by the bed 

 beyond hoeing over the surface once or twice to keep down the weeds 

 in the autumn. In March,when the surface is dry, the soil immediately 

 about the plants should be made firm with the foot. Sometimes, 

 especially when the winter has been severe, the soil becomes so loose 

 that the dry winds materially injure the roots. In after years this 

 precaution is not often uecessary. The bed should be hoed over as 

 often as may be necessary to keep down the weeds until the flower 

 trusses are pushing up, and then a little clean straw or long litter 

 from the stable should be laid bet« esn the rows, to prevent heavy rain 

 washing up the soil and damaging the fruit. The runners, unless 

 required for layering in pots, to raise a stock for the formation of a 

 fresh bed, or for pot culture under glass, should be removed when 

 about six inches in length. They can then be nipped off with the 

 thumb and finger ; but if they are allowed to remain and take root, 

 a very large amount of additional labour is required in their removal, 

 and the plants are injured by their crowding them up, and prevent- 

 ing the development of healthy foliage. 



From what I have seeu of strawberry growing in the gardens of 

 amateurs, I am of opinion that amateurs are more in need of infor- 

 mation on the selection of suitable sorts than upon any other point. 

 Certainly, it is not an uncommon occurrence to meet with beds 

 consisting of sorts that are either second-rate in quality, or inferior 

 to others as regards productiveness. In selecting, those which are 

 free growers and produce heavy crops of fruit of large size and high 

 flavour should have the preference. The time of their ripening 

 their fruit must be taken into consideration, so as to prolong 

 the season as much as possible. Six sorts are none too many 

 for a garden of an average size, and the six that I should recommend 

 as combining the above-mentioned qualities are: — 



Dr. Hogg. — A large and haudsome fruit, of cockscomb shape, 

 and remarkable for its sweetness and rieh flavour. A hardy and 

 free-bearing variety, ripening at mid-season. 



'Filbert Pine. — A medium sized conical fruit, of a dull crimson 

 colour, with solid, brisk, and richly- flavoured flesh. It is very pro- 

 lific, and succeeds admii-ably on light soils, where iheHritish Queen 

 will hardly grow. Late. 



