FRUITS. VARIETIES AND CULTURE. 435 



trees or plants should be allowed to overshadow it, to 

 drink up the moisture of the soil New land is the best, 

 and the most easily kept free from weeds. The soil should 

 be dug or plowed deep. 



It is not required to be very rich, unless with decayed 

 vegetable matter, as animal manures produce only a 

 growth of vine. Plant good, vigorous runners from old 

 stocks, three feet apart each way ; three rows of pistillates, 

 and then one row of good hermaphrodites, and so on, 

 until the bed or plot is filled ; cultivate precisely as you 

 would corn, and as often. As the runners appear, cut 

 them off, and keep the plants in hills; this is a much 

 better plan than to permit them to run together and 

 occupy the entire surface of the ground ; after the beds 

 have done fruiting, still keep them clear from grass and 

 weeds, and when the leaves fall from the trees in the fall, 

 give a good coat of these as a winter protection. 



There is no fruit which has been so greatly improved 

 within the last ten years as has the strawberry, in size, 

 productiveness, and flavor; it is now as generally culti- 

 vated as the apple or any of our standard vegetables. 

 Most of the then esteemed varieties are now superseded 

 by new and improved ones, amongst which stand pre- 

 eminent Wilson's Albany, Jucunda, Agriculturist, Dr. 

 Nicaise, Downer's Prolific, McAvoy's Superior, and some 

 others. 



VARIETIES. 



Wilson's Albany. This is the most popular strawberry 

 now under cultivation in the United States, although not 

 of first quality in flavor, being rather too acid, but as it is 

 a very hardy variety, vigorous grower, and very produc- 

 tive, it will long be a favorite fruit for domestic cultiva- 

 tion. Fruit large, very dark red, conical in form, trusses 

 short and stout; leaves large, dark green, with short 



