308 



On the Btra*mberry. 



worth. From the middle of March to the middle of June, is the 

 ordinary season for a supply of forced strawberries; therefore, I 

 shall have that period in view in the following detail of their 

 culture. 



As soon as the runners are long enough to lay, let that be 

 done in the following manner : — Prepare your quantity of 60 

 sized pots, by putting one crock or pebble in the bottom of each ; 

 then fill the pots with strong loam (if turfy, so much the better) ; 

 then let a man take an iron-shod dibber, with two handles, and 

 a bracket for the foot, such as is used around the metropolis for 

 potatoes, and make holes between the rows of strawberries, deep 

 enough to let the pots into the brims ; and on the centre of 

 each lay the joint of a runner ; and over that lay a pebble about 

 the size of a duck's egg. By this method there is a vacuum 

 under the pots, which drains them ; and their being let into the 

 soil saves watering, and preserves a more regular degree of 

 moisture ; and the pebble, used instead of a peg, is acted upon 

 by the sun's rays, concentrating heat and moisture, which greatly 

 accelerates rooting. When well rooted, they may be cut from 

 the runners, and potted in thirty-two sized pots, one in each, 

 and plunged up to the brims in some convenient quarter of the 

 garden ; in beds, 5 ft. wide, with 2 ft. between, and defended 

 from autumn rains, and spring frosts, in the following manner : 

 — Set up two sticks in the form of the letter A, and in the junc- 

 ture lay one along the top, and tie the three together ; then tie 

 one selvage of a mat to the top rail, and to the other selvage tie 

 a straight-edged stick, one or more lengths of the mats (see 

 Jig. 107.) ; then, in dry weather, roll the mats inwards and up- 

 wards, and fix them to the cross ends of the rafters by a string 

 loop : the bearers may be 2 ft. apart all along the beds. This 

 will form a cheap and efficient protection from saturating rains 

 and late spring frosts. Thousands of strawberry pots were ren- 

 dered useless, in the commercial and private gardens around 



