THE STRAWBERRY. 383 



the larger sorts, must be cleared of runners and Kept well 

 cultivated, or they will always bear poorly. 



A rencvjcd oj the beds by transplanting, is performed most 

 successfully in spring. The new plants, formed by the 

 rooting of the runners, are always the be?t. Planting in 

 summer requires much care and labor in watering ; and in 

 autumn, the plants rarely become so well rooted as to with- 

 stand sufficiently the frosts of winter.* In all cases, the 

 roots, before set out, should be imn.ersed in mud, and the 

 plants watered afterwards. 



The following very easy mode of raising the strawberry, 

 by a spontaneous renewal of the plants, or "culture in al- 

 ternate strips," is thus described by A. J. Downing, and has 

 been successfully practiced in various parts of the country : — 



" Early in April, or in August, being provided with a good 

 stock of strong young plants, select a suitable piece of good 

 deep soil. Dig in a heavy coat of stable manure, pulverizing 

 well and raking the top soil. Strike out the rows, three 

 feet apart, with a line. The plants should now be planted 

 along each line about a foot apart in the row. They will 

 soon send out runners, and these runners should be allowed 

 to take possession of every alternate strip of three feet — the 

 other strip being kept bare by continually destroying all 

 runners upon it, the whole patch being kept free of all 

 weeds. The occupied strip or bed of runners will now give 

 a heavy crop of strawberries, and the open strip of three feet 

 will serve as an alley from which to gather the fruit. After 

 the crop is over, dig and prepare this alley or strip for the 

 occupancy of the new runners for the next season's crop. 

 The runners from the old strip will now speedily cover the 

 new space allotted to them, and will perhaps require a par- 

 tial thinning out to have them evenly distributed. As soon 

 as this is the case, say about the middle of August, dig un- 

 der the whole of the old plants with a light coat of manure. 

 The surface may be then sown with turnips or spinage, 

 which will come off before the next season of fruits. 



" In this way the strips or beds occupied by the plants, are 

 reversed every season, and the same plot of ground may 

 thus be continued in a productive state for many years." 



* When autumn planting is adopted from necessity^ the soil should be closely trod 

 den round the roots to prevent heaving by the frozen moisture. 

 25 Q 



