FERTILE AND BARREN PLANTS. 523 



August, dig under the whole of the old plants with a light coat 

 of manure. The surface may be then sown with turnips or spin- 

 age, which will come off before the next season of fruits. 



In this way the strips or beds, occupied by the plants, are re- 

 versed every season, and the same plot of ground may thus be 

 continued in a productive state for many years. 



Both of the above modes are so superior to the common one 

 of growing them more closely in beds, that we shall not give 

 any directions respecting the latter. 



It may be remarked that the Alpine and European Wood 

 strawberries will do well, and bear longer in a rather shaded 

 situation. The Bush-Alpine, an excellent sort, having no 

 runners, makes one of the neatest borders for quarters or beds 

 in the kitchen garden, and produces considerable fruit till the 

 season of late frosts. If the May crop of blossoms is taken 

 off, they will give an abundant crop in September, and they 

 are, therefore, very desirable in all gardens. 



To accelerate the ripening of early kinds in the open garden 

 it is only necessary to plant rows or beds on the south side of 

 a wall or tight fence. A still simpler mode, by which their ma- 

 turity may be hastened ten days, is that of throwing up a ridge 

 of soil three feet high, running east and west, and planting 

 it in rows on the south side. (The north side may also be 

 planted with later sorts, which will be somewhat retarded in 

 ripening.) The best early sorts for this purpose are Duke of 

 Kent, and Large Early Scarlet. 



Fertile and Barren Plants. A great deal has been written 

 and said lately respecting male and female strawberry plants, 

 and the absolute necessity of planting a due proportion of 

 both, in order to have a crop of fruit. There is some practical 

 value in this notion, but, like most hobbies, it has galloped 

 considerably beyond the boundaries of sober truth. 



The Strawberry, in its natural state, is an hermaphrodite 

 plant, bearing perfect flowers, with the male organs (sta- 

 mens, a), and female organs (pistils, b), both in the same blos- 

 som. The European Wood and Alpine Strawberries always 

 retain this natural character of the blossom, no matter how culti- 

 vated and, therefore, every blossom gives a perfect fruit. 



Fig. 211. Strawberry Blossom. 

 K. a 



1. Natural State 2. Sterile staminate blossom. 3. Sterile pistillate blossom 



