MARCH.] THE FRUIT-GARDEN. 215 



or hard woody parts, annexed thereto ; then plant them in rows four 

 feet and a half asunder, and from two to three feet distant in the 

 rows ; they will produce some fruit next summer and more abund- 

 antly the second year, &c. 



Dig the ground between your old plantations of raspberries, after 

 pruning, taking out the suckers, &c. as directed last month., 



Digging the Fruit -Tree Borders. 



Dig the fruit-tree borders, as early in this month as you find the 

 ground to work freely, previously giving them a good dressing of 

 well rotted manure. This will be serviceable to the trees, the bor- 

 ders will appear neat, and be ready to receive any small crops, 

 which may be proper to sow or plant therein. 



Strawberries. 



The strawberry plants will now begin to push, therefore the 

 sooner they receive their spring dressing, after the weather becomes 

 tolerably favourable the better. 



Clear the beds from weeds, and the plants from decayed leaves, 

 and old runners : it is most adviseable to keep the plants in single 

 bunches, clear of each other, so that there may be room to hoe be- 

 tween, and occasionally to dig round them, with a narrow spade, or 

 trowel ; by which means they will fruit in much better perfection, 

 than if crowded together. 



The beds being cleared from litter, loosen the earth between the 

 plants ; and if you add a little fresh earth from the allies, &c. to the 

 beds, drawing it close to the plants, it will greatly strengthen them, 

 and cause them to flower strong and bear plentifully. 



Strawberries may be planted about the middle or latter end of the 

 month, but if planted in September, or early in October, they would 

 bear fruit the summer following ; not but those planted now, will 

 take root freely, and bear some fruit, but they will be few in com- 

 parison to those of the autumn planting; however next year they 

 will bear abundantly. 



The proper sets for planting are the young offsets, and runner- 

 plants of the last summer, which procure of the strongest stocky 

 growth, from beds of good plants, that are in full perfection forbear- 

 ing, and not from worn-out stools, taking them up with good roots. 



Prepare for these plants, a piece of good ground, either in the 

 main quarters, or in the borders ; if loamy the better ; and let some 

 rotten dung be dug in. If in the main quarters, divide the ground into 

 beds, four feet wide, with alleys eighteen inches wide between them,. 

 or they may be planted in continued rows in the borders. Plant the. 

 strawberries of the scarlet kind, fifteen inches asunder, and allow the 

 same distance between plant and plant in the rows. But the large 

 kinds, such as the hautboy, and Chili, should be planted eighteen 

 inches distant every way. 



The Alpine or prolific strawberry, should likewise be planted 

 fifteen or eighteen inches distant every way, that there may be 



