43 



slight degree of heat is required, and smoke is always charged 

 with more or less heat. 



Still another method may be adopted, where provision to meet 

 the foe is made in advance. A very light mulching of straw or 

 hay will effectually protect the flowers, if applied when danger 

 of frost occurs. If kept stacked on the field where it is likely 

 to be wanted, it may be scattered over a large area in a short 

 time. Of course it will be necessary to remove it from over the 

 plants as soon as the cold wave has passed. 



I have occupied more space with these suggestions than may 

 seem necessary to those who are situated in localities exempt 

 from frost, feeling certain that many of the failures attributed 

 to other causes by the unobserviug are the result of injury after 

 the flower petals have expanded. A bed of the Sharpless on 

 my own ground, last season, that was white with flowers, gave 

 not a single basket of fruit, having been killed by the frosts of 

 the 30th and 31st of May. As the flower-petals are not always 

 affected, the novice is not usually aware of the injury that has 

 been done, but the incipient fruit turns black in a day or two, 

 showing the full extent of the mischief. 



FIELD NOTES. 



Notes carefully taken in the field, from time to time, and re~ 

 corded, will become very valuable afterwards for reference. 

 The date when each variety flowers, ripens, and the length of 

 time that it continues in bearing, should be jotted down. The 

 following memoranda were made on the llth day of June, and con- 

 tained information not to be found elsewhere, showing the rela- 

 tive hardiness of different varieties of the strawberry, and their 

 liability to injury by spring frosts. The letters " S " and " P " 

 indicate which are staminate, and which pistillate. 



Captain Jack. S. Hardy, but a poor grower. Leaves dark- 

 green, and small. Flowers perfect, and badly exposed to frost. 

 A poor show for fruit on rather light soil. 



Champion ( Windsor Chief). P. Hardy foliage, as dark and 

 healthy as in mid-summer. A good but not rampant grower. 

 Leaf-stalks longer than the fruit-stems. Flowers, only a few 

 of which are open, well protected by leaves. 



Charles Downing. S. Hardy. Plant strong and uninjured. 



