268 Conical-fruited Scarlet Alpine Stra*wberry, 



between the ground and bases of the leaves ; they will soon 

 make fresh young roots. After planting, nothing is to be done 

 but to lay a little short dung on the surface of the bed, and give 

 a little water. They must not be allowed to make any runners ; 

 or, if they do, they must be all taken off, which causes them to 

 form good strong plants and stools. Spring or autumn is the 

 best time to make plantations. One of these plantations will be 

 good for four or five years; after which time the soil begins to 

 get exhausted by over-bearing ; so that you will require to renew 

 them by making fresh beds every other year, if not yearly. 



Those plantations made either in the spring or autumn will 

 produce good ripe fruit in the September and October of the 

 same year. Three or four years old is the best time to allow 

 them to make runners to get stock from to make plantations. If 

 once they are allowed to produce runners, they soon run out and 

 become small-fruited. By their not being allowed to make run 

 ners, the plants are stocking themselves by making young offsets, 

 which ai'e continually flowering and fruiting the whole season. 



Some gardeners prefer sowing the seed of this strawberry, 

 which they consider the best mode of cultivating it ; as it is said 

 to last longer, bear finer fruit, and not to run out so soon. The 

 beds, it is said, will stand good for six years. By sowing the 

 seed of this strawberry, one advantage may be obtained, namely, 

 that of raising new sorts or varieties ; but nothing more : for, if 

 the seed is sown in the spring, it will require at least a year and 

 a half before you obtain any fruit, and this is not certain even 

 then before the following year. For my part, I find no advan- 

 tage in sowing whatever, except in obtaining new sorts. Care 

 in planting this strawberry is the chief thing, and afterwards 

 not over-watering it. 



The soil which suits these strawberries is a light sandy soil, 

 neither too rich nor too poor; one with a quantity of old lime 

 rubbish in it, and where the water will pass quickly off, seems 

 to suit them best. In the hot dry weather they require to have 

 a good supply of water to keep them fruiting, otherwise they 

 will not fruit so large or fine. Care must be had not to let the 

 soil get too moist. If they make too many leaves, let them have 

 no water, or even take off" the covering of rotten dung; for the 

 soil is too rich for them, and they are growing too strong to fruit 

 well. Take off all the old leaves, and expose them to the sun 

 as much as you can. When once they commence fruiting, you 

 will have plenty. Be careful not to plant them where there is 

 any shade whatever, but in a place that is fully exposed to the 

 sun, and where there is a free circulation of air, otherwise they 

 will not fruit well or in any quantity. 



This is also one of the best strawberries for forcing, by taking 

 the two- OE,ythree-years-old stools, and putting them into small- 



