306 



STRAWBERRY. 



the bloom expands, but when the blossom is 

 expanded let the water be carefully poured 

 in amongst the plants and not over their tops, 

 otherwise a great number of the blossoms 

 would be rendered abortive by the farina 

 being washed off, but when the fruit is set 

 (which will be discovered by the falling off 

 of the petals) watering over the tops is of 

 great service, as it occasions the fruit to swell 

 finer. About the middle or end of May, 

 all runners which are between the rows 

 must be taken away so that there be ten 

 or twelve inches of bare ground between 

 them. The taking off the runners at this 

 time ensures the production of finer fruit 

 than otherwise would be the case. The 

 plants must always be kept clear of weeds. 

 When the fruit approaches maturity let wa- 

 tering over the tops be desisted from, and 

 some clean straw be placed along the sides of 

 the rows, this keeps the fruit clean and pre- 

 serves them from moulding, and is easily 

 performed. At the autumn (generally about 

 the end of October) let all the alleys be dug 

 over, the breadth of ten inches, and at the 

 same time dig in the alleys some well rotted 

 manure (cow's dung is preferable being cool.) 

 At the following spring about the end of 

 March, or when it is considered the severe 

 frosts are over for that season, iet all the old 

 tops of the plants be cut clean off. I find 

 that the plants do best when the tops are left 



