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manent plants, into which several pans ten or a dozen times, the ground will 

 of water are poured daily during become thoroughly soaked. With 

 drought. This must be useless or near- annuals, verbenas, and other grouping 

 ly so, as the roots which would take up plants, I have found this a most e.vcel- 

 the water, for the benefit of the plants, ' lent method. In connection with the 

 will form a circle at a considerable dis- , watering of strawberries, a radical im- 

 tance from the stem. Seed beds, or I provement is required; for although 

 plants which can be regularly and tho- j gardeners are prettly liberal with the 

 roughly watered, as radishes, lettuce, limpid fluids over the heads of the 

 and salading, will be much benefited,! plants, they are not good conservators 

 butartificial wateringoutofdoors, in the , of the quality of the fruit. It is true, 

 manner it is usually applied, is of little by copious watering, both the size and 

 service; and in the case of strawber- , quantity of the fruit is much increased ; 

 ries, and similar crops, mulching with ; but it is equally true that if water is 

 straw, grass, or some such contrivance, I used over the plants after the fruit is 

 which will prevent tlie rapid evapora- , half grown, the latter will be much de- 

 tion of moisture from the soil, is much teriorated in quality. We all know 

 preferable." — Card. Chron. \ that strawberries in a wet season are 



Mr. S. Taylor, of Stoke Ferry, in the ' never so high flavoured as they are in a 

 Gardeners' Magazine for 1840, recom- I dry one, and what is the reason ? Why, 

 mends the use of bottles with two small : because there is a superabundance of 

 holes in the sides near the bottom, for | aqueous matter in the fruit; and so it 

 watering plants. The bottles are buried I is with the plants copiously watered 

 to the neck, near the roots of the flower [ overhead in dry seasons. In truth, it 



which requires watering, and after 

 being filled and corked, the water is 

 allowed gradually to exude through the 

 holes. "This," says that good horti- 

 culturist, Mr. W. P. Ayres, " though 

 undoubtedly an ingenious method, is 

 objectionable, because the roots of the 

 plants are liable to be injured in plung- 

 ing the bottles, and that it would require 



may be laid down as a rule, if fine fla- 

 voured fruit be a desideratum, water 

 ought never to come in contact with it 

 after the saccharine or maturing assi- 

 milation commences. Hence in water- 

 ing strawberries, let it be poured from 

 the spout of the watering pot upon the 

 soil, but on no account is it to touch 

 the fruit; or, what will be better, fork the 



so many of them, where copious water- I ground over between the plants, give it a 

 ing was necessary. A better plan is to i good soaking, to at least the depth of a 

 take moderate sized flower-pots, and [ foot, and cover it two or three inches 

 having placed an inch or two of rough j deep with clean straw. This will both 

 gravel in the bottom of each, to place I prevent the evaporation of moisture. 



them round the plant to be watered, 

 and fill with water, which as it perco- 

 lates gradually through the gravel, will 

 soak into the ground. For plants such 

 as standard roses, rhododendrons, &c., 

 closely turfed over on lawns, or for any 

 thing in a sloping situation, this is a 

 most excellent plan, as the pots filled 



and the radiation of terrestrial heat; 

 and as the straw, from its colour and 

 non-conducting qualities, will reflect 

 instead of absorbing the heat, the fruit, 

 being subjected to increased tempera- 

 ture, will, in consequence, be improved 

 in flavour. If water is required after 

 the straw is placed on the beds, let it 



with water may be placed at night, and be applied through pots, placed one 



removed the next morning, so as not to foot apart, as recommended above for 



become an eyesore. Watering plants plants on a lawn." — Gard. Chron. 



in flower beds is at all times a difficult I agree with those who recommend 



matter, because if the borders are suf- " sunrise as the best time for the water- 



ficiently full of soil to give them a con- ing of exposed plants. Evaporation no 



vex form, which they always ought to doubt will then go on freely; but the 



have, the water runs to the sides of the atmosphere is beginning to get warmer, 



borders as fast as it is poured on. In and the sun's rays to exert tlieir coun- 



such cases it will be found advisable to teracting influence. The darkened sur- 



perforate the beds asthickly as possible, face — that very condition which made 



without injuring the roots, to the depth the soil throw otT its heat more readily 



of six or eight inches, with a stick one during the night, causes itto imbibe tho 



inch in diameter, and by filling these , heat of the sun's rajs by day with in- 

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