STEAWBEEEIES. 



161 



in sand, road-scrapings, very fine cinder-ash, or burnt 

 or charred materials. Boggy or peaty land requires 

 burning, or the application of good mould ; and if it is 

 Avet, draining is necessary. 



They are propagated by runners, which are thrown 

 out by strings from the sides of the old roots, round 

 which they take root. Those nearest the plant should 

 be marked to save, as the best. When these runners 

 have taken root, they may either remain where they are 

 until autumn, or they may at once be taken up and 

 planted in rows in the nursery, five or six inches apart. 

 If they are taken up, and thus planted out, they will 

 make fine, large, well-rooted plants, strong enough to 

 bear fruit the next year. 



New sorts are reared from seed w^hich is cleared from 

 the pulp, sown and kept safe from mice and accidents 

 until the little plants grow. 



For making new beds, trench the giwnd two spits, 

 i. e., twenty inches deep : the good soil should be as 

 deep as this, and the trenching must not go below it : 

 a good allowance of half-rotten manure may be mixed 

 with the first spit. If the runners rooted in summer 

 have been well taken care of, they may be finally planted 

 any time before frost makes the ground hard to work. 

 Beds may be made of four rows of strawberries each, 

 wdth two or three feet between the beds. They also do 

 very well made into a border, two or three rows deep, 

 outside fruit trees, as far round the garden as the aspect 

 is sufficiently sunny for them. Some prefer planting 

 in single rows, or in groups of three or four. The 

 strong growing kinds may be planted 15 inches apart 

 every way, those of medium growth 15 inches between 

 the rows, and 1*2 from plant to plant, and others respec- 

 tively 12 or 9 inches, according to their luxuriance. 



The first year cut all the runners from the plants 

 before they take root, to throw strength into the parent. 

 If they show for fruit, spread cut grass or straw between 

 the roots, both to keep the fruit clean and to retain the 

 moisture in the beds. As soon as the fruit is gathered 

 rake this off, keep the ground clean with the hoe. and 



