THE STRAWBERRY 



175 



plant itself is brought down to the soil, and indeed partly covered by it. It 

 should be so low that while its base is covered the heart or centre of the 

 plant is not. In inserting the runner another important point to bear in mind 

 is that of making the plant firm. Indeed throughout the culture of the straw- 

 berry this must be practised if a successful issue is to result. Satisfactory crops 

 of strawberries were never yet obtained from plants not made firm in the soil, 

 no matter at what stage of their development, whether as runners in small 

 pots, or as established plants in fruiting pots. If the runner is placed as 

 deeply as mentioned above, and the shred is made secure in the soil, there will 

 be little danger of the plant not being firm. Supposing sufficient plants to be 

 obtained by layering one only from each stalk selected, the remaining ones 



Three Methods of Layering Strawberries 



{t) One-year-old plant in fruit, which is the best to take runners from, for although 

 unfruitful plants produce the most runners, they should never be selected for 

 increase ; (a) runner layered in 3-inch pot and secured with galvanized wire peg ; 

 {v) runner layered in a 3-inch square of reversed turf and secured with a wire 

 peg ; {w) runner layered into s or 6-inch pot and secured with wire peg. 



should be cut off, so that they may not interfere with the development of the 

 layered one. Make a point also of choosing the firmest and most vigorous 

 runners, for they will make the best plants. When sufficient plants have been 

 secured, there remains but little to do until they are ready to be transferred to 

 the fruiting pots. The thing to attend to is, of course, the watering, for upon 

 the proper performance of this duty will largely depend the plants' progress. 

 It has been before mentioned that they require a great deal of water during 

 the period that elapses between layering and repotting. And this is due, as 

 may be easily understood, to their being in quite small pots which become 

 quickly filled with roots, and that the season is the hottest part of the year 

 (the months of July and early August). Early morning, and again in the 

 afternoon, are the best times to give water to the plants, for then it has an oppor- 

 tunity of soaking through the soil, and so reaching all the roots. The number of 

 times that it is necessary to water the runners will depend entirely upon the 

 weather ; whereas one day once would suffice, three waterings would not be 



