162 FRUIT GARDEN. 



centre of the flower, are termed staminate or perfect 

 blossoms. 



In the United States, strawberry plants are set out 

 either in the spring months of March and April, or in the 

 months of August and September. A good size for beds 

 is four feet wide with three rows of plants about fifteen 

 inches apart. The beds may have walks two or two and a 

 half feet wide for the workers or pickers to msve in. 



After the middle of July, the runners not required to 

 produce fresh plants are to be clipped off or otherwise 

 destroyed. The beds should be weeded so that the soil 

 may be kept clean and open, and in light soils a few inches 

 of well-rotted leaf mold should be dug in between the rows 

 every fall. Where exposed to severe cold, some straw or 

 rough litter should be lightly spread over the beds in win- 

 ter. In dry seasons, after the plants have done blooming, 

 it will generally be of great service to the fruit to have the 

 beds occasionally watered with weak liquid manure of some 

 kind, either the draining from the cattle yard or other 

 fertilizing liquid. A solution of guano, in the proportion 

 of one lb. to six or eight gallons of water, will answer very 

 well. Manure must generally be given in some way or 

 other if very large fruit is wanted. As the beds will not 

 generally produce well longer than three or four years, it 

 is requisite to have a succession of new ones coming on in 

 other places. It is recommended to set out the female 

 plants, with the exception of every fifth bed, which is to 

 consist of males. The clean straw or tan usually placed 

 about the plants to keep the fruit from the ground or sand, 

 should be put round in early spring before the blooming. 



A deep, light rich loam is the best soil for the straw- 

 berry, and where nature has not placed this at the conveni* 

 ence of the planter, he should have recourse to trenching. 



