328 The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



cut in more than lin. deep. Remove all blossoms as soon 

 as they show, as the plants must not be allowed to fruit. When 

 runners appear peg down the earliest until the whole surface, 

 except a 9in. margin along each edge, is covered with plants 

 9in. apart. They must not be closer than this or the plants 

 will be overcrowded and the size of the fruit will suffer in 

 consequence. The beds should be kept moist by frequent 

 watering until the runners are rooted. As soon as this has 

 taken place cut the old plants out. .Each bed is now covered 

 with young, vigorous, early-rooted plants, which by suffering 

 no check from transplanting make extra fine crowns by the 

 autumn. No further runners must be allowed to form, weeds 

 must be kept down, the surface soil stirred, and if the summer 

 should prove very dry the beds should occasionally be watered 

 copiously preferably in the evening so as to help the plants 

 to make all the growth possible, the crop of fruit depending 

 largely upon the growth of the preceding season. The furrows 

 between the beds will remove all surplus water in the winter 

 and in conjunction with the deep cultivation will keep the plants 

 free from stagnant moisture and ensure healthy root action. 

 When growth begins in the spring apply the fertilizers men- 

 tioned later. When the plants are in bloom dress the bed with 

 good equalized guano, and water copiously until the fruit begins 

 to show colour. The result will be a very heavy crop of extra 

 fine fruit which will surprise the grower who has adopted this 

 method for the first time and will repay him abundantly for all 

 the trouble he has taken. 



To perfect this system, a portion of the plantation should be 

 brought to the fruiting stage earlier than it would otherwise 

 be under normal conditions; this procedure is known as 

 " forwarding," and is accomplished by covering the plants, as 

 soon as growth begins in March, with movable box frames. 

 The most convenient size of frame for this purpose is that 

 described on pages 69-71, which will fit comfortably on the 

 5ft. bed with a margin of a few inches of earth on each side to 

 give "it a firm foundation. If the plants were kept 9in. from the 

 the edges of the bed, as directed, the nearest will be a few 

 inches from the side-boards of the frame. After the lights are 

 put on ventilate freely, never closing them entirely except in 



