STRAWBERRIES. 



239 



which still hold a prominent place among es- 

 teemed varieties" (De Candolle). 



Among the most successful breeders of new 

 Strawberries in recent years are Messrs. J. 

 Veitch and Sons, Laxton Brothers, Carmichael, 

 and Allan. There is a marked tendency to 

 breed for size and form of fruit only, conse- 

 quently, whilst some of the new sorts are in 

 these characters superior to older favourites, 

 they are inferior to them in the real test of a 

 good Strawberry, viz. firmness of flesh and 

 richness of flavour. 



Soil and Situation. — The Strawberry will grow 

 in any good garden soil. Some kinds prefer a 

 rich sandy loam ; but the Pine varieties, and 

 especially the Old Pine, succeed well in rather 

 strong loam, provided it is enriched by manure 

 and kept moist. Tenacious soils do not suit 

 them, unless ameliorated by such means as 

 have been pointed out in the chapter on soils. 

 Ground that is apt to get very dry from the 

 effects of only ten days' or a fortnight's drought 

 is not suitable, on account of the enormous 

 quantity of water that will be necessary; and 

 if once the plants begin to flag for want of 

 moisture, the crop will suffer. A soil that is 

 naturally somewhat moist, but not too wet, 

 answers well; and where the land admits of 

 irrigation, heavy crops may be produced every 

 year on even light soils. 



If the nature of the ground permit, it should 

 be trenched to the depth of at least 2 feet, sup- 

 plying, at the same time, plenty of manure, 

 most of which should lie at 1 foot from the 

 surface. If the surface consists of old garden 

 soil that has been long manured, and if there is 

 any yellow loam below, it will be very desirable, 

 in trenching, to turn up some of the latter to 

 the top, and then, after trenching, to spread 

 a layer of dung on the surface, mixing it well 

 with the fresh loam in digging it in. The loam 

 will tend to prevent the plants from growing 

 too much to leaf, instead of forming flower- 

 stems. For stiff soils, good peat, if at command, 

 may be added; leaf -mould is also an excellent 

 mulch for Strawberries. 



Planting. — The best time for this operation is 

 as soon as the plants are well rooted. If the 

 ground is not available for planting in summer, 

 then it should be done early in autumn, whilst 

 the ground is warm enough to encourage the 

 plants to root before winter; or if this cannot 

 be done, the operation had better be deferred 

 till the plants are about to start into fresh 

 growth in spring, say February or March, accord- 

 ing to the season and state of the weather. 



When it is foreseen that the plantation cannot 

 be made in autumn, it is a very good plan to 

 take up the runners when well rooted, arid 

 plant them at 6 inches apart each way, in 4- 

 feet beds, with 1-foot alleys between them, 

 which will afford convenient space for weeding 

 and watering. In this way 4 or 5 rods will 

 hold sufficient for planting \ acre. When the 

 ground is ready for planting, furrows should 

 be drawn with a hoe, as if for sowing Peas. 



The plants ought to be carefully taken up 

 with balls, laid on a hand-barrow, and planted 

 with a trowel. The proper distance between 

 the rows varies according to the nature of the 

 soil and the variety. In very rich soil the 

 varieties with large foliage may be allowed as 

 much as 2 \ feet between the rows, and 18 

 inches from plant to plant in the row. For 

 such large growers as Royal Sovereign 2^ 

 feet apart each way is not too much, if the 

 room can be spared. Mr. Keens planted in 

 rows 2 feet apart, with an interval of 3 feet 

 between every two rows, the plants 18 inches 

 apart in the row. Mr. Myatt, the celebrated 

 grower at Deptford, planted in rows 18 inches 

 apart, and the same distance from plant to 

 plant in the rows, but left a space of 30 inches 

 for an alley between every three rows, and after 

 the fruit was gathered in the first year the 

 middle row was cleared away. Mr. Lydiard, 

 one of the best growers near Bath, planted in 

 rows 2\ feet apart, the plants being 2 feet from 

 each other in the rows. In Mr. Keens' plan there 

 are seventy-two plants to a rod, in Mr. Lydiard's 

 fifty-four or fifty-five, in Mr. Myatt's ninety-nine 

 in the first year, and sixty-six afterwards. 



The distance allowed by Mr. Keens is very 

 proper for general cultivation. The interval of 

 3 feet between every two rows admits of space 

 for young plants from runners, when a new 

 plantation is required. By Mr. Myatt's plan 

 the ground is more fully occupied during the 

 first season, when the plants are comparatively 

 small, than is the case when the other distances 

 are adopted. 



Young plants that are early rooted and well 

 grown may be planted doubly close for bearing 

 in the following season, and after the fruit is 

 gathered every other plant can be removed, 

 care being taken in doing so not to injure the 

 roots of the plants intended to be left. In 

 planting, the roots with the ball of earth should 

 be placed as deep as they can be without cover- 

 ing the heart of the plant. Water must be 

 plentifully given at first, but afterwards spar- 

 ingly, until the plants have taken root 



