CULTURE OF SMALL FRUITS. 327 



two crops from the ground in one year, if desired, and 

 there is also plenty of time to crop the ground with Cab- 

 bage, Cauliflower,, Celery, or other fall crop, after the 

 crop of Strawberries has been gathered. The plan of 

 getting the pot layers of Strawberries is very simple. 

 Just as soon as the fruit is gathered, if the beds are well 

 forked up between the rows, the runners, or young plants, 

 will begin to grow, and in two weeks will be fit to layer 

 in pots. The pots (which are about two inches in diam- 

 eter), are filled with the soil in which the Strawberries 

 are growing, and "plunged" or sunk to the level of the 

 surface : the Strawberry layer is then laid on the pot at its 

 joint, being held in place with a small stone. The stone not 

 only serves to keep the plant in its place, so that its roots 

 will strike into the pot, but it also serves to mark where 

 each pot is ; for, being sunk to the level of the surface, 

 rains wash the soil around the pots, so that they could 

 not well be seen unless marked by the stone. In ten or 

 twelve days after the Strawberry layers have been put 

 down, the pots will be filled with roots. They are then 

 cut from the parent plant, placed closely together, and 

 shaded and watered for a few days before being planted 

 out. 



Strawberries for field culture are usually planted from 

 the ordinary layers, either in August and September in 

 the fall, or in March, April or May in. the spring. They 

 are usually planted in rows, two to three feet apart, and 

 nine to twelve inches between the plants. In planting, 

 every plant should be well firmed, or great loss is almost 

 certain to ensue, as the Strawberry is a plant always dif- 

 ficult to transplant. They are usually worked by a horse 

 cultivator, and generally two or three crops are taken 

 before the beds are plowed under ; but the first crop 

 given (which is in the second year after planting), is 

 always the best ; that is, the Strawberry beds set out in 

 March, April, or May will give the best crop in June of 



