TREATMENT OF THE 307 



upon them until spring, as the leaves pro- 

 tect the roots from the severity of frost dur- 

 ing winter. And when they are taken off 

 at autumn I never could discover that the 

 plants were strengthened by it, but were 

 thus exposed to all the severity of winter. 

 In dressing over the plants at spring, where 

 there is such a quantity together that they 

 crowd each other, let them be regularly 

 thinned. After this is done, let some good 

 loamy soil and well rotted manure mixed 

 together, be sprinkled amongst the plants 

 but not so as to coyer them. After this 

 dressing, the plants will require no more at- 

 tendance than what, has already been given. 

 Strawberry plants seldom bear fruit well 

 for a longer period than four or five years. It 

 is advisable therefore to make a fresh planta- 

 tion every four years. The Wood, and Al- 

 pine Strawberries ought to be renewed every 

 third year. They bear the most abundant 

 when raised from seed. The method I prac- 

 tice with them is to gather the fruit and 

 spread them open in the sun for a day or 

 two, then wash the seeds out and immedi- 

 ately sow them in a bed of rich light soil. 

 As soon as the plants are big enough to 

 transplant, I prick them out at three inches 

 apart in some other beds of rich soil. At 

 the following spring I finally plant them off, 

 and they will sometimes bear well the first 

 year. 



