56 On the Management of Strawberries. 



gardeners this year was, that the Scarlets did not reach half 

 their natural size, and of course required twice as many to 

 fill a pottle as would do it in a good year. 



In wet years the straw is of less importance in this point 

 of view, but in years moderately wet, the use of strawing 

 sometimes makes watering wholly unnecessary, when gar- 

 deners who do not straw are under the necessity of resorting 

 to it, and we all know if watering is once begun, it cannot 

 be left off till rain enough has fallen to give the ground a 

 thorough soaking. 



Even in wet years the straw does considerable service, 

 heavy rains never fail to dash up abundance of mould, and 

 fix it upon the berries, this is entirely prevented, as well as 

 the dirtiness of those berries that lean down upon the earth, 

 so that the whole crop is kept pure and clean : no earthy 

 taste will be observed in eating the fruit that has been 

 strawed, and the cream, which is sometimes soiled when 

 mixed with Strawberries, by the dirt that adheres to them, 

 especially in the early part of the season, will retain to the 

 last drop that unsullied red and white which gives almost as 

 much satisfaction to the eye while we are eating it, as the 

 taste of that most excellent mixture does to the palate. 



