STRAWBERRY 123 



by the relative vigour of the varieties and the nature of the ground. 

 As a rule the rows should be two feet apart, and the plants eighteen 

 inches in the rows, but some varieties require fully two and a half 

 feet between the rows. It is good practice to leave a three-feet space 

 between every two rows for necessary traffic. A modification of the 

 plan consists in planting a foot apart each way ; and immediately the 

 first crop of fruit is off, every alternate row is removed, and then 

 every alternate plant in each row is also taken out. This places the 

 remainder at two feet every way. The ground is then dug between 

 and a heavy coat of manure put on. 



The general management comprises keeping down weeds, supply- 

 ing water abundantly in dry weather, especially when the berries are 

 swelling, and removing runners as fast as they appear, for to allow 

 them to get ahead is most injurious, and any serious neglect of the 

 matter is likely to ruin the plantation. The Strawberry plant makes 

 no proper return on a dry lumpy soil. Large plantations that cannot 

 be watered must be aided in the height of the season by covering the 

 ground with any light material which will prevent evaporation. As 

 to obtaining runners, that is an easy matter enough, but there is a 

 good way and a bad way. To allow them to spread and root pro- 

 miscuously is the bad way ; it injures the plants, makes the bed 

 disorderly, and does not produce good runners. At the time when 

 runners begin to push, dig and manure the surrounding spaces, and 

 allow a certain number of runners to come out from each side of the 

 rows. As they approach maturity and are disposed to make roots, 

 lay tiles or stones upon the runners near to the young plants to favour 

 the process, but a neater way will be to peg them down. Or they 

 may be fixed by short pegs in small pots, filled with light rich earth 

 and plunged conveniently for the purpose. 



To keep the crop clean many plans are adopted, and the plant 

 probably takes its name from the old custom of covering the ground 

 with straw for the purpose. The cultivator must be left to his own 

 devices, because of the difficulty in many places of obtaining suit- 

 able material. But we must warn the beginner in Strawberry culture 

 against grass mowings as more or less objectionable. They some- 

 times answer perfectly, and at other times they encourage slugs and 

 snails to spoil the crop, and if partially rotted by wet weather com- 

 municate to the fruit a bad flavour. There is a very simple means 

 of feeding the crop and making a clean bed for the fruit. It consists 

 in putting on a good coat of long, strong manure in February, and 

 in doing this it is no great harm if the plants are in some degree 



