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matter of trenching, but if quite unnecessary in some instances it is 

 not in others, as I have met with cases where it was quite impossible 

 to cultivate Strawberries successfully unless some form of trenching 

 was adopted. The past season has been evidence of this, as in the 

 majority of cases where the plants collapsed at the time when they 

 should have been producing fruit it was on account of there not being 

 a sufficient depth of worked and fertile soil. It is in such caRes as 

 this that an extra depth of soil must be provided, and this either by 

 trenching if the soil will admit, or by bastard trenching if the sub-soil 

 is not in a condition to enable it to be brought to the surface. The 

 most successful instance I ever met with of Strawberry culture on a 

 light and thin soil was at Loxford Hall, where Mr. Douglas produced 

 some of the grandest crops I ever met with. His system was to plant 

 annually. The soil in the first instance was well trenched, working 

 in at the same time a good dressing of cow manure, healthy young 

 plants which had been layered early in 3-inch pots being set out in the 

 latter part of July or during the early days of August In no instance 

 were the plants allowed to remain longer than one year, in fact, it was 

 useless to allow them to remain longer, as if so, they would degenerate 

 and do but little grod, Now here was a very successful instance of 

 good crops of Strawberries leing produced annually and this in soil in 

 which it was thought it would be useless to attempt the cultivation of 

 the Strawberry with any degree of success. 



Trenching alone will not ensure success, as much depends upon the 

 kind of plants and the manner of planting them Those produced 

 from yearling plants are much the best, as when runners are taken 

 from older plants they are not nearly so satisfactory as these, besides 

 being small are not in a condition to make a satisfactory growth. 

 The planting may also seem a simple affair, but it requires to be done 

 with care in order that, the plants may take quickly to the soil and 

 soon become established. In the first place the surface should be made 

 as firm as possible. When ready for planting a little fresh soil should 

 also be at hand for placing around the balls. JNot but that the plants 

 will take to the soil without this fresh addition, but on poor or unkindly 

 soils it gives them a start, and the results obtained will repay for the 

 trouble taken. I use old potting soil with burned refuse, with an ad- 

 mixture of fresh soil if it can be spared. A spadeful is sufficient for 

 each plant. This must be pressed w( 11 around the ball, leaving also a 

 shallow depression around the plant as a receptacle for water. On 

 heavy land trenching is not needed, in fact, I am sure the plants suc- 

 ceed better without it. These soils never have a hard sub-soil, neither 

 do the plants suffer to the same extent from want of water. A hard 

 impervious clay, or such as have not been brought under cultivation, 

 will of course require improving by the addition of road grit, burued 

 soil, burned garden refuse, or anything of a like nature But I refer 

 to heavy land or such as has previously grown good vegetables. All 

 that I find necessary to ensure the plants succeeding well is to fork 

 over the soil to the full depth of the fork, working in a good dressing 

 of manure and burned refuse. The system of planting is the same as 

 on light or gravelly soils. Trenching such soils as these, besides being 

 quite unnecessary would I am sure, not lead to successful results. Me- 

 dium soils are the better for being bustard trenched. — ( The Garden.) 



