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plum : it resembles & gooseberry in appearance, the skin tbin 

 and shining and of a purple appearance. The tree is not com- 

 mon on this side of India, and only one or two are to be found 

 in Bombay. The fruit here is not so large as in Calcutta, where 

 it is common during the rains ; it contains from ten to twelve 

 seeds, and is both palatable and wholesome, and well worthy 

 of more general cultivation. The tree grows to a large size. 



FRAGARIA. Rosacece. THE STRAWBERRY. This plant multi- 

 plies itself from runners and suckers ; the old plant, after it has 

 ceased bearing, throwing them out. As soon as the rains have 

 set in, these runners may be removed into a nursery bed, for 

 their being more easily looked after, and should have the space 

 of nine or ten inches allowed between them : they will throw 

 out other runners, the whole of which may be separated and 

 transplanted at the proper season. 



They thrive best in a light soil with good old stable and vege- 

 table manure at first, and as soon as they show a disposition to 

 flower, may have old goats' or sheep's manure added around 

 each plant, a couple of double handsful being sufficient. 



In no part of the Deccan, should the plants be put out for 

 fruiting before the close of the rains, the latter part of Sep- 

 tember being quite early enough. Suckers which I planted for 

 experiment at the commencement of August, grew to a good 

 size, and did nothing for ten or twelve weeks but throw out 

 suckers, which were continually removed, and after all fruited 

 badly : the finest and most prolific crop were got from suckers 

 put out in the beginning of October. Some strawberries were 

 gathered in November from the plants put out in August, but 

 they were so few as in no way to induce me to try the experi- 

 ment again. Varieties can only be procured from seed ; and to 

 procure the seed, select the finest ripe fruit, rub it on a sheet of 

 paper, and dry it. When the rains commence, soak the seed in 

 water, reject all that float, the remainder sow in baskets in a 

 light loam, when they will be fit to remove in about six weeks, 

 and should be put in other baskets four or five inches apart, 

 and taken care of until ready to be transplanted into beds. 



