42 BOOK OF FRUITS. 



but it is much better than crowding the plants 

 too closely, which is the more common error. 

 It is only by affording sufficient room for the 

 plants to receive the benefit of sun, air, and 

 of culture, that the fruit will ripen early, and 

 acquire a good size and agreeable flavor. Keen, 

 of Isleworth in England, a most successful 

 cultivator of this fruit and who raised the cel- 

 ebrated Keen's seedling, says, in speaking of 

 the large distances he adopted in planting, 

 " these distances I find necessary, for the 

 trusses of fruit in my garden ground are fre- 

 quently a foot lung." The following is his 

 method of culture, in his own words : " After 

 the beds are planted, I always keep them as 

 clear of weeds as possible, and on no account 

 allow any crop to be planted between the 

 rows. Upon the growing of the runners, I 

 have them cut when necessary ; this is usually 

 three times in each season. In Autumn I al- 

 ways have the rows dug between ; for I find 

 it refreshes the plants materially ; and I re- 

 commend to those persons to whom it may be 

 convenient, to scatter in the Spring, very light- 

 ly, some loose straw or long dung between 

 the rows. It serves to keep the ground moist, 



