FRUIT GARDEN. 277 



The STRAWBERRY (Fragaria). Of this there are 

 several species, the principal of which are the Pine, 

 the Single-leaf or Monophy lla, and the Chili, natives 

 of South America ; the Carolina, the Scarlet or Vir- 

 ginian, and the Wood, natives of North America; 

 and the Hautboy, and Alpine or Prolific, natives of 

 Europe. Of these, the Alpine and the wood are 

 best propagated from seeds, as in this way they 

 never fail to reproduce themselves, and give fruit as 

 soon, and of a finer quality, than the offsets. The 

 other species are more readily multiplied by run- 

 ners ; which, as they take root at every joint, and 

 grow the more vigorously the more they are cut, 

 necessarily furnish a great abundance of plants. 



When seeds are used, we must be careful to em- 

 ploy fresh and well-ripened fruit, mashed in the 

 hand, and mixed with a little mellow earth, and 

 sown in rows three feet apart. When, on the other 

 hand, runners are employed, they must be taken off 

 near the ground, divided into sets, planted in rows 

 as in the other case, and occasionally lightly shaded 

 and watered, until they give evidence of having 

 taken root, which they rarely fail to do very prompt- 

 ly. In both processes, the ground must be kept 

 loose and clean, and moderately manured with com- 

 post dung. 



With regard either to general or special rules in 

 this case, we cannot do better than to make the read- 

 er acquainted with the method of Mr. Keans, of 

 Islesworth, an English fruit-gardener, who has cul- 

 tivated the strawberry with uncommon success. 

 "In preparing the ground," says he, "if new and 

 stiff, trench it ; but if the subsoil be of an inferior 

 kind, simply dig it, and place the dung at the bot- 

 tom : if, again, the soil be good to the full depth, 

 bring the bottom spit to the top, and the top spit to the 

 bottom, and place the dung between the two. The 

 month of March is the best time for planting either 

 seedlings or runners, and remember to make your 

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