232 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



situation, and in a rather light, well manured and worked 

 soil, in lines 2 feet apart, and only 6 inches apart in 

 the line. This close planting I adopted simply for the 

 sake of procuring the necessary stock for potting in the 

 smallest and most convenient space, it being much more 

 convenient to lay and attend to them after they are laid 

 than when scattered over a greater space. These autumn- 

 planted runners in their turn throw out beautiful strong 

 runners early in the season, and these are chosen for the 

 production of plants for early forcing the following season. 

 In ordinary seasons they are ready to lay the second 

 week of June, which is earlier than ever I have been 

 able to get as fine runners from plants forced and planted 

 out in spring ; and in ordinary cases older plantations 

 of strawberries produce " spindly" runners that never 

 make such fine plants as those produced by the method 

 described. 



PEEPAEING EUNNBES FOE THEIE FEUITING-POTS. 



In preparing the young runners for their fruiting-pots, 

 I have also tried various ways — such as spreading equal 

 proportions of loam and leaf-mould between the rows, 

 and laying them in it without pots. At other times I 

 have crocked and fiUed the fruiting-pots with soil, and 

 laid the runners at once into them. But while both 

 these methods can be adopted with success, I prefer, as 

 soon as the young plants begin to push out roots, to lay 

 them in 2|- and 3-inch pots firmly filled with two 

 parts friable loam and one part of leaf-mould. These 

 pots are plunged between the rows of strawberries, 

 and a single runner laid on each pot and gently pressed 

 into the soil, taking care not to bury the heart of the young 



