270 ROBERTS'S HORTICULTURAL DOUBLE TILE FOR STRAWBERRIES. 



XXVII. — Report on " Roberts's Horticultural Double Tile for 

 Strawberries," By Robert Thompson. 



(Communicated June 28, 1850.) 



These tiles are each about a foot in length and six inches wide. 

 Two edges are turned down square ; and on these turned down 

 edges alone the tile rests on the ground, leaving between the 

 latter and the under surface of the rest of the tile a clear space 

 of an inch and a half. The ends are not turned down, so that 

 when these are placed against each other, the cavity may be 

 said to be continuous. A semicircular opening is cut out of one 

 side of each ; and a couple being placed, one on each side of the 

 plant, a circular hole is formed for its growth, and the foliage 

 and fruit can spread over the one-foot square platform constituted 

 by the two tiles. 



Plants of Keens' Seedling, British Queen, and Old Pine Straw- 

 berries were planted under equal circumstances last autumn, in a 

 row on the border in front of a south wall. When planted, 

 tiles were placed round eighty plants of the above varieties ; to 

 the remainder, left for comparison, nothing was done. 



The weather was hot and dry when the fruit was ripening, 

 and ripe fruit was quite as soon gathered from those plants which 

 were not surrounded with tiles as from those that were. It was 

 observed in many instances, that where the fruit rested on the 

 tiles, the part in contact was pale, showing that the ripening 

 process was not uniform throughout, consequently the flavour was 

 not found superior to that of others grown in the most common 

 way. The produce on the whole was inferior ; for it must be 

 observed, that the tiles afford excellent shelter for many insects, 

 some of which attack the plants, others the ripening fruit ; in 

 both ways deteriorating the crop. 



These tiles might be employed in particular cases where straw, 

 or the more enriching litter employed by market gardeners and 

 others, would be considered unsightly even though bleached by 

 sun and rain. The cavity is bad, for the reasons above stated. 

 Were it done away with, or, in other words, if the straight side 

 were left as it is, at right angles with the top, and with the semi- 

 circular opening, but no edge turned down on the opposite side, 

 then the soil or other top-dressing could be raised round the 

 plants, and on it the tile could rest and form a straight edging 

 where desirable. 



All that can be said in favour of the tiles in question is, that 

 they keep the fruit clean from soil. But, on the other hand, 

 they prevent the rain from refreshing the roots, and thus prove 

 injurious to the health of the plants, whilst they also harbour 

 insects that spoil the fruit. 



