STRAWBERRY. 



489 



STRAWBERRY. 



generally choosing an old celery bed ; 

 trenching it deeply, planting immediately, 

 and watering copiously until the plants are 

 established. Where this is not available the 

 system is to prepare a piece of ground by 

 trenching and manuring as above, and 

 marking it into 4-feet beds, with 15-inch 

 alleys between. In autumn or early spring 

 a row of strong plants are planted in the 

 alleys and the beds between cropped with 

 summer lettuce. As the strawberries 

 advance in growth the young plants from 

 the runners are carefully layered among 

 the lettuce, and soon become strong, vigor- 



'S1R JOSEPH PAXTON GOOD TYPE OF 

 STRAWBERRY. 



ous plants, producing heavy crops of very 

 large fruit. 



In small gardens strawberry banks or 

 terraces are an excellent device ; they are 

 formed as follows : A space of ground of 

 any given length, and 6 feet wide, being 

 marked out, a wall 9 inches high is formed 

 of stones, flints, or old wood, the space 

 between the walls being filled with com- 

 post, such as has been described. Upon 

 this compost, and 9 inches within the first 

 walls, two more are added and filled up 

 in the same way ; and thus the work pro- 



ceeds, a row of plants occupying the space 

 between each pair of walls, until the space 

 comes to a single row of plants at the top. 

 In a bank of this kind the walls, if running 

 due east and west, insure both a very early 

 and very late supply of fruit, and it may be 

 planted at any time, taking care, at plant- 

 ing, that the ground slopes inward slightly, 

 so as to secure a full supply of moisture at 

 the roots. Stones, clinkers from the fur- 

 nace, or other arrangements for preventing 

 evaporation, and providing a clean surface 

 for the fruit to rest upon, are easily applied 

 to this mode of cultivation ; while copious 

 waterings with manure water from the time 

 the plant shows blossoms until the fruit is 

 ripe, will greatly assist this or any other 

 system of cultivation. 



To grow strawberries in perfection, it 

 is necessary to keep the roots moist while 

 they are swelling, either by mulching, which 

 prevents evaporation, or by watering, when 

 it is necessary to give a liberal supply. 

 Where expense is no object, tiles may be 

 obtained cut so as to join round the roots 

 of the plant and fit together ; but their 

 light colour and greater porosity increase 

 evaporation and slates are preferred, and 

 where they are not obtainable straw or 

 coarse hay (not lawn grass) will retain the 

 heat and moisture and keep the fruit free 

 from grit. This is a fruit requiring very 

 careful packing when sent to a distance. 

 When hampers are to be sent the fruit 

 should be packed in smaller baskets with 

 lids, 5 or 6 inches square, which will pack 

 conveniently in the larger hamper. Having 

 placed some young strawberry leaves in 

 the bottom and round the edges of the 

 basket, fill up the remaining space with 

 fruit and leaves alternately not in layers, 

 but intermixed with the fruit, and cover 

 the top with leaves, over which place the 

 lid. The fruit selected for packing should 

 never be over-ripe, and all bruised berries 

 should be thrown out. 



