Transactions of the Horticultural Society. 305 



that of properly managing old beds : I am quite certain that 

 I obtain a much larger quantity of fruit, and of a very superior 

 quality, than I ever did obtain by retaining the same beds in 

 bearing during three successive years, from the same extent 

 of ground." 



Mr. Knight approves of Mr. Keens's mode of placing some 

 long dung between the rows ; but to his practice of digging 

 between the rows, he says, " I object most strongly ; for by 

 shortening the lateral roots in Autumn, the plants not only 

 lose the true sap, which such roots abundantly contain, but 

 the organs themselves, which the plants must depend upon for 

 supplies of new food in the Spring, must be to a considerable 

 extent destroyed. This mode of treating strawberry plants is 

 much in use among country gardeners, and I have amply tried 

 it myself, but always with injurious effects; and I do not 

 hesitate to pronounce it decidedly bad." In this we entirely 

 agree with the president, and recommend the study of his re- 

 marks to every cultivator. The following observations respect- 

 ing runners deserve the gardener's attention, as being calcu- 

 lated to guard him against the two extremes, of taking off all 

 or none. " Taking off the runners is not expedient in the 

 mode of culture I recommend, and, under all circumstances, 

 this must be done with judgment and caution ; for every 

 runner is, in its incipient state of formation, capable of becom- 

 ing a fruit-stalk, and if too great a number of the runners be 

 taken off in the Summer, others will be emitted by the plants, 

 which would, under other circumstances, have been trans- 

 muted into fruit.stalks. The blossoms, consequently, will 

 not be formed till a later pei'iod of the season, and the fruit 

 of the following year will thence be defective alike in quantity 

 and quality ; and, under the mode of culture recommended, a 

 large part of the runners, when these are taken off in Spring, 

 will be required to form the new beds." 



Alpine strawberries Mr. Knight raises from seed early in 

 Spring, or from runners of the preceding year planted in the 

 beginning of April, at one foot apart, in beds four or five feet 

 wide. " It is expedient, in the culture of these varieties, that 

 the superficial soil should be extremely rich ; because much 

 the most valuable part of their produce is obtained from 

 runners, of the same season, and these require to be well 

 nourished. If a good alpine variety be planted, the blossoms 

 of all the runners will rise with the third leaf. The best 

 which I have seen affords a white fruit, similar in form to 

 the red variety ; and the old plants of this, as well as the 

 runners, continue to bear till their blossoms are destroyed by 

 frost; and both the white wood, and white alpine strawberries, 



Y 4t 



