172 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS. 



inches in diameter, are filled with the soil in which the 

 Strawberries are growing, and " plunged " or sunk to 

 the level of the surface; the Strawberry layer is then laid 

 on the pot, and held in place with a small stone. The 

 stone not only serves to keep the plant in its place, so 

 that its roots will strike into the pot, but it also serves to 

 mark where each pot is; for, being sunk to the level of 

 the surface, rains wash the soil around the pots, so that 

 they could not well be seen unless marked by the stone. 



In ten or twelve days after the Strawberry layers have 

 been put down the pots will be filled with roots. They 

 are then cut from the parent plant, placed closely 

 together, and shaded and watered for a few days before 

 being planted out. Some plant them out at once when 

 taken up, but, unless the weather is very suitable, some 

 loss may occur by this method; by the other plan, how- 

 ever, of hardening them for a few days, not one in a 

 thousand will fail. 



I find that in hot, dry weather it is of great benefit to 

 plants newly planted to place along each side of them a 

 mulch of either rough manure, dried grass from the lawn 

 that has been cut by the mowing machine, or any such 

 material that will act as a non-conductor, so as to prevent 

 the rays of the hot sun striking down on and drying and 

 heating up the bare soil. If properly planted and 

 mulched by some such material, no water need ever be 

 used in the hottest or driest weather. 



I planted out on the i5th of August the past season 

 over ten thousand pot-grown Strawberry plants, mulched 

 them in this way with dried grass cut by machine from 

 the lawn, and, although we gave no water, and had not 

 a drop of rain for thirty days, yet nearly every plant has 

 made a growth that is certain to give a full crop of 

 Strawberries next season, as at present date of writing 



