614 [ THE SMALL FRUITS. 



situation, and some of them-, like Louis Gauthier and 

 General Chanzy, are best grown in beds where they 

 develop quickly and yield astonishing quantities of fruit. 

 Others, like Royal Sovereign, Sensation and Docteur 

 Morere will give the best results if grown in broad pots 

 or in boxes along a sheltered wall, which is well shaded 

 off in summer. 



The strawberry thrives best in the red soils which 

 are not too light or sandy, but will do well also in mode- 

 rately stiff clayey soils or whitish soils. The land should 

 be trenched to a depth of 50 c.m., and heavily manured 

 throughout, and then laid out in beds with a view to 

 subsequent irrigation. A sunny situation is necessary 

 to obtain an early crop, but the beds should be capable 

 of being properly shaded off in summer, otherwise many 

 plants will be killed by the burning sun, however as- 

 siduously they may be watered. January is the best 

 time for planting out strawberries, but the operation can 

 be performed at any time from October to the first clays 

 of March. The plants should be taken up, if possible 

 with a good many roots, and should be planted with 

 their roots spread out, and with the "neck" of the plant 

 at a level with the soil or just above it. The Wood and 

 Alpine strawberries are planted 20 c.m. apart in the 

 row, with 30 c.m. from one row to another, the English 

 strawberries being planted at greater distances. Old 

 plants should be avoided, as well as the weaker of the 

 new plants which are not yet well provided with roots. 

 At the same time the plants should be cleaned of the 

 dry and sickly foliage, and of the dry stipules around 

 the neck of the plant. 



The strawberry is propagated by seed or by plants 

 produced at the nodes of the runners, and a few bushy 

 sorts which have few runners or none at ail are propa- 

 gated by dividing the clumps of old plants. Propagation 

 by seed is rarely practised, except when it is desired to 



