ABOUT FRUITS, FLOWERS AND FARMING. 287 



not necessary to common gardens, where two or three 

 choice sorts will suffice. 



Almost every cultivator has a way of his own in raising 

 strawberries. 



In private gardens, in a soil well enriched and deeply 

 spaded, let beds be formed about four feet wide ; upon 

 *]iese set three rows of hills and the plants about fifteen 

 niches apart in the row. Pinch off all runners through the 

 season, unless they are wanted for new plants. 



Old beds, grown over and matted, had better be des 

 troyed ; but if, for any reason, it is desirable to save them, 

 mark out lines every eighteen inches and dig alleys through 

 the bed, by turning the plants under. In this way the patch 

 will be thrown into beds of eighteen inches width. Before 

 this is done take an iron-toothed rake and rake the bed 

 severely. Do not be afraid of tearing the plants ; go over 

 the whole bed thoroughly. It will seem as if scarcely a 

 dozen plants were left, but in a few weeks your bed will be 

 entirely covered with a strong growth. 



GOOSEBERRIES. This fruit is very much neglected because 

 its merits are only little known. There are two sorts found 

 in our gardens, the common gooseberry and English, by 

 which name is meant a large, coarse, thick-skinned green 

 variety. It is not generally known that there are any other 

 cultivated sorts ; and as these are inferior they are little 

 cared for. The Lancashire (England) Nurserymen publish 

 300 varieties! The select list of Mr. Thompson of the Lon 

 don Horticultural Society s garden comprises fifty-six 

 varieties; the still more condensed select list of Robert 

 Manning (Mass.) includes twenty-eight sorts. Some of 

 these bear fruit as large as a medium-sized plum. There 

 are four colors, red, yellow, green and white ; to each color 

 are two sizes, large and small fruits. Those who have not 

 seen and tasted the Scotch and Lancashire varieties of the 

 gooseberry do not know what the fruit is. In sending foi 

 them, select a trustworthy nurseryman, and request him to 



