522 THE STRAWBERRY. 



CULTURE IN ROWS. The finest strawberries are always ob- 

 tained when the plants are kept in rows, at such a distance apart 

 as to give sufficient space for the roots, and abundance of light 

 and air for the leaves. 



In planting a plot of strawberries in rows, the rows should be 

 two feet apart, and the plants, of the large growing kinds, two 

 feet from each other in the rows ; of the smaller growing kinds, 

 from one foot to eighteen inches is sufficient. The runners must 

 be kept down by cutting them off at least three times a year, and 

 the ground must be maintained in good order by constant dress- 

 ing. During the first year a row of any small vegetables may 

 be sown in the spaces between the rows. Every autumn, if the 

 plants are not luxuriant, a light coat of manure should be dug 

 in between the rows ; but if they are very thrifty it must be 

 omitted, as it would cause them to run too much to leaf. 



A light top-dressing of leaves, or any good compost, applied late 

 in the fall, though not necessary, greatly promotes the vigor of 

 the plants, and secures the more tender kinds against the effects 

 of an unusually cold winter. Before the fruit ripens, the 

 ground between the rows should be covered with straw, or light 

 new-mown grass, to keep it clean. 



A plantation of this kind in rows, will be found to bear the 

 largest and finest fruit, which, being so fully exposed to the 

 sun, will always be sweeter and higher flavoured than that 

 grown in crowded beds. A plantation in rows is generally 

 in full perfection the third year, and must always be renewed 

 after the fourth year. 



CULTURE IN ALTERNATE STRIPS. A still more easy and eco- 

 nomical mode is that of growing the strawberry in alternate 

 strips. 



Early in April, or in August, being provided with a good 

 stock of strong young plants, select a suitable piece of good 

 deep soil. Dig in a heavy coat of stable manure, pulverizing 

 well and raking the top soil. Strike out the rows, three feet 

 apart, with a line. The plants should now be planted along 

 each line about a foot apart in the row. They will soon 

 send out runners, and these runners should be allowed to take 

 possession of every alternate strip of three feet the other strip 

 being kept bare by continually destroying all runners upon it, 

 the whole patch being kept free of all weeds. The occupied 

 strip or bed of runners will now give a heavy crop of strawber- 

 ries, and the open strip of three feet will serve as an alley from 

 which to gather the fruit. After the crop is over, dig and pre- 

 pare this alley or strip for the occupancy of the new runners 

 for the next season's crop. The runners from the old strip will 

 now speedily cover the new space allotted to them, and will per- 

 haps require a partial thinning out to have them evenly dis- 

 tributed. As soon as this is the case, say about the middle ot 



