CULTIVATION OF FRUIT 



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work, and should be attempted by all who wish to prolong the season 

 of this delicious fruit. It is not necessary to have a large number of 

 plants, and much fire heat is unnecessary, unless it is desired to have 

 fruits very early ; it is not, however, advisable for the small grower to 

 attempt to force Strawberries very early, for a certain proportion of 

 the plants become blind (i.e. they bear small, useless flowers, or per- 

 haps none at all), and the flavour of the fruits in the dull weather of 

 early spring is by no means first-rate. Delicious fruits may, however, 

 be had in the month of April by gentle forcing. We will now go 

 back to where the runner was left. It will be remembered that this 

 was fixed into a small pot of soil and carefully watered. After having 

 severed the rooted runners from the parent plants, in order to have 

 plants that can be forced to bear fruit by the following April, transfer 



SHOWING SAME RUNNERS WHEN LAYERED INTO SMALL POTS 



the former to larger pots those six inches in diameter are the most 

 suitable. If the runners were layered towards the end of June, by the 

 first week of August they will be sufficiently well rooted to remove. 

 The nature of the soil in which they are now potted is of great im- 

 portance, for it has to support them for about nine months. Nothing 

 is better than rough, turfy soil, with which a little guano, or manure 

 from an old mushroom-bed, and some small pieces of lime or brick 

 rubble are well mixed. The latter help to keep the soil sweet and 

 wholesome, while the guano stimulates and supports the plants. Place 

 several crocks over the base of each six-inch pot for drainage, so that 

 the water given to the plant may pass away freely. Unless proper 

 drainage is provided, satisfactory results cannot be obtained. Over 

 the crocks place a few rough pieces of turf to prevent the smaller 

 particles of soil from falling into them, and thus stopping free 



