Miscellaneous. 



382 



[October, 1908. 



tilled, or planted with green raanu res. 

 So long as the surf ace of the ground is 

 hard, water evaporates more freely from 

 it, and the effects of a drought are 

 sooner manifest. Our leader this month 

 deals with this quesition. — Ed,] 



STRAWBERRY GROWING AND 

 GARDEN NOTES. 



Nuwara Eliya, 7th August, 1908. 

 Sir,— As strawberries are now being 

 grown in Nuwara Eliya, I send you some 

 Garden Notes on their culture which 

 may be of service for your magazine. 



Yours faithfully, 

 H. F. G. Webster. 



Garden Notes. 



The planting of strawberries so soon 

 as the young ones are rooted suggests 

 the question of distances apart to set the 

 plants. The usual distance adopted by 

 regular growers is half a yard from 

 plant to plant and two feet six inches 

 from row to row, as we mentioned last 

 week. But amateurs may make the 

 most of the land they devote to straw- 

 berry culture by placing the rows only 

 two feet apart, and setting the young 

 plants as closely together as one foot 

 apart. The space thus alloted will 

 suffice for the first season. For the 

 second season every alternate plant in 

 each row should be removed when the 

 first fruiting is over. Thus the straw- 

 berry plants will enjoy a space of two 

 feet every way from their neighbours, 

 in their second and third years. In 

 removing the surplus plants care must 

 be taken not to injure the roots of those 

 destined to remain. The strawberry, 

 like many other plants, sends fine roots 

 far afield in search of food to maintain 

 itself and the numerous family it hopes 

 to bear and bring up. These fine, far- 

 reaching roots contribute greatly to the 

 support of the crop. They should be 

 guarded from injury and spared 

 serious disturbance. For this reason 

 digging with the spade between the 

 rows of strawberries is bad policy at all 

 times. The stirring of the surface of the 

 soil is of advantage to growing crops, 

 but this should be done with the fork. 

 With care a fork may be so used in 

 strawberry beds as to do no injury to the 

 roots, or so little that the advantage of 

 aerating the soil more than atones to 

 the plants. In planting young straw- 

 berries, the roots, with the ball of earth, 

 should be placed as deep as they well can 

 be set without covering the heart of the 

 plant. Water must be plentifully given 

 at first planting ; afterwards only very 

 moderate watering is desirable until the 



plants have rooted. After the planting 

 has been completed, the surface should 

 be kept free from weeds and stirred. 

 Runners must be removed until the 

 time come round again to encourage the 

 formation of some to make new plants. 

 But it is advisable not to cut off the first 

 runners from young plants too promptly. 

 By allowing the*«first runners to form a 

 second joint or bud before cutting them 

 off an advantage is gained. The young 

 plant forbears from producing super- 

 abundant foliage whilst occupied in send- 

 ing out its earliest runners. When the 

 runners are removed, they may be cut 

 off close to the plants from which they 

 spring. The selection of strawberries is 

 a matter of some bewilderment to 

 growers, especially where no previous 

 experience exists of the suitability of 

 kinds to the soil. Strawberries have 

 marked partialities of their own. In 

 land that is uncongenial, they make 

 their grower sensible of their dissatis- 

 faction. But the production of different 

 kinds in great variety has been specia- 

 lised by notable raisers like Messrs. 

 Laxton Brothers, who devote sixteen 

 acres to the culture of young strawberry , 

 plants, at their Bedford nurseries. It is 

 possible now to make choice from nearly 

 one hundred excellent kinds. When a 

 plantation is not a complete success, a 

 change in the varieties planted should 

 be tried by obtaining young plants in 

 pots this month from the nurseries. If 

 a grower has room for only one variety, 

 the Laxton should be tried. This hand- 

 some strawberry was produced about 

 three years ago by a cross between 

 "Royal Sovereign" and "Sir Joseph 

 Paxton," both notable strawberries and 

 popular favourites with growers. It 

 was the result of eight years' watchful- 

 ness and selection. Upon its exhibition 

 on the show table in 1901, the Fruit Com- 

 mittee of the Royal Horticultural Society 

 at once unanimously awarded it a first- 

 class certificate, a distinction of which it 

 has since proved itself well worthy. It 

 is a sturdy grower, with thick glossy 

 foliage and a strong leaf stalk. Its 

 strong constitution gives it an advantage 

 in poor soils and adaptability to many 

 soils. It produces profusely very large 

 strawberries of dark bright colour, 

 conical shape, and of 1 fine rich flavour. 

 It is an early strawberry. Where the 

 Laxton fails, its half-parent Royal 

 Sovereign may succeed. This straw- 

 berry bears fruit of glossy bright scarlet 

 colour, with firm white flesh, very 

 delicious in flavour. It also is early in 

 fruiting. A later variety is Climax, 

 which bears fruit of large size and 

 shining crimson hue ; its flavour is rich 

 and suggestive of vintage. In shape it 

 is elongated, like a filbert ; it is of hardy 



