THK CANADIAN HORTICULTUEIST. 



133 



follow. Keeping the surface loose witli 

 a mulch is equivalent to stirring the 

 soil. 



The skill and care required to gvovr 

 the Jucunda to perfection will answer 

 })erfectly for any other variety. The 

 following method is adapted to those 

 who are willing to give extra culture 

 for the greatest perfection in fruit : — 



The soil should be well drained, deep 

 and rich. If it slopes to the east or 

 north, so much the better ; but in any 

 event it should be sheltered on the west, 

 for the foliage of this variety cannot en- 

 dure our hot, di-ying winds. This is 

 true of many others. I have seen a 

 pitch rusted everywhere exce])t for a 

 short distance on the east side of a 

 fence. 



As early in the spring as the ground 

 is dry enough to work, clear it of all 

 rubbish and stir it thoroughly to the 

 depth of five or six inches ; after whicli 

 it should be plowed or spaded to twice 

 that depth. If an abundance of old, 

 well-decomposed stable manure is at 

 hand spread over the surface a liberal 

 allowance, from two to four inches. In 

 the absence of this a bushel of \\n- 

 leached wood ashes and ten pounds of 

 bone dust to the square rod will an- 

 swer. This should be well worked into 

 the soil and the surface left smooth. It 

 is now ready for planting. Such liberal 

 manuring seems out of all proportion to 

 the amount of plant food removed from 

 the soil by a crop of strawberries, but 

 it is not removed from the soil. The 

 strawbeny plant needs plenty of food 

 to build it up to a condition to produce 

 an abundance of fruit. 



The roots, stem and leaves are made 

 up of rich material. During the season 

 of growth a large amount of food is 

 stored up in the crown for the pi'oduc- 

 tion of seed (fruit) just as it is in an 

 onion or a parsnip ; but the strawberry 

 plant is perennial and is not entirely 

 exhausted after producing a sinjle crop 



of fruit. This is the reason why a 

 strawberry patch, when plowed under, 

 lurnishes ao much food for the follow- 

 ing crop. It is almost like plowing 

 under a crop of clover. Even insects 

 have learned that the strawberry plant 

 is rich, for the larvae of no less than 

 five of them feed on the roots and 

 crown, while the foliage has a lai'ge 

 number of enemies. 



Select young plants and see that their 

 roots are not exposed to drying winds 

 or frost while out of the ground. Re- 

 move all dead leaves and runners and 

 shorten the roots to three inches or less. 

 Wash them thoroughly lest the larva 

 of the crown-borer or strawbei'ry-root 

 worm be carried to the new "bed. Put 

 the plants in a pail with the roots 

 covered with water, taking ont one at 

 a time to plant. Set in rows four feet 

 apart, and tAvelve inches apart in the 

 row, leaving the crown level with the 

 surface and the earth pressed firmly 

 against the roots. 



If in a garden where the work is 

 done by hand, the space between the 

 rows might be occupied by some early 

 crop that would not interfere with the 

 plants, as dwarf peas. 



Soon after the plants are set blossoms 

 will appear, which should be cut off at 

 once before they exhaust the plant. A 

 little later in the season runners will 

 start, and they too must be cut oft". 

 During all this time the ground must 

 be thoroughly stirred, never allowing a 

 single weed to share the food and mois- 

 ture that is designed for the plants. 



About the first of July strong run- 

 ners will be starting out in abundance. 

 Select two of the best from each plant 

 and allow them to produce one young 

 plant each, cutting olf all the other run- 

 ners through the season. Place these 

 young plants on each side of the old 

 one, and nine inches from the row. 

 This will leave thirty inches for a path. 

 Cultivation must be kept up all sum 



