392 On the Cultivation (/Strawberries. 



trusses of fruit to lie upon ; and thus, by a little extra trouble, 

 and cost, a more abundant crop may be obtained. A short 

 time before the fruit ripens, I always cut off the runners, to 

 strengthen the root ; and after the fruit is gathered, I have 

 what fresh runners have been made, taken off with a reaping 

 hook, together with the outside leaves around the main plant, 

 after which I rake the beds, then hoe them and rake them 

 again. In the autumn, unless the plants appear very strong, 

 I have some dung dug in between the rows, but if they are 

 very luxuriant, the dung is not required, for in some rich 

 soils it would cause the plants to turn nearly all to leaf. I 

 also have to remark, that the dung used for manure should 

 not be too far spent ; fresh dung from the stable door is pre- 

 ferable to spit dung, which many persons are so fond of. The 

 duration of the beds must be determined by the produce of 

 the plants, which varies much according to the different sorts ; 

 it also varies with the same sort in different soils, so that the 

 precise time of the renewal of the beds must be regulated by 

 the observation of the gardener, in each particular case. 



I commence my observations on the different sorts, with 

 the Pine Strawberry. The best soil for it is a light loam, 

 though no other kind of Strawberry will bear a strong loam 

 better than this. It is likewise to be noticed, that this is of 

 all others the most difficult Strawberry from which to procure 

 a good crop. Particular care must be taken, that they are 

 planted in open ground : for in small gardens they grow very 

 strong, but seldom bear fruit, in consequence of being so 

 much shaded by standard trees ; and I have observed the 

 shade of the Walnut tree to be much more injurious to these 

 than to others : for under it they seldom bear at all, but run 



