176 



Upon the Culture of the Strawberry. 



cannot be obtained till a much later period. They occupy more 

 perfectly the whole extent of the pots in which they are planted, 

 and acquire a much greater degree of strength and maturity during 

 the summer and autumn than plants of inferior age ; and they con- 

 sequently afford more abundant and more early crops, and fruit 

 of larger size, than is produced by younger plants. 



When I have possessed more of such plants, than I have wanted 

 for forcing, I have, early in the summer, planted them closely in 

 contact with the base of my south walls, under the branches of my 

 peach and nectarine trees, where the soil usually remains unem- 

 ployed ; and I have by these means obtained a very early and a 

 very abundant crop of fruit of first rate quality, which has ripened 

 at least nine days earlier, than the fruit of the same varieties in 

 other pots of my garden. The plants of Keen's Seedling may 

 with advantage, be placed at three inches distance from each 

 other, and those of the Grove End, the only other varieties which I 

 have subjected to experiment, at two only apart. 



If such plants be suffered to remain a second year the fruit 

 which they will afford will be of smaller size generally, and will 

 not ripen nearly as early ; and therefore as soon as the fruit has 

 been gathered, and the runners, which under such circumstances 

 are produced very early, having taken root, the old plants must 

 be destroyed and the young, which the runners afford, made to 

 occupy their places. The soil will, of course, require to be annually 

 manured; and if the manure to be applied be previously incor- 

 porated with some fresh loam, the plants will be eventually bene- 

 fitted. If the weather be dry after planting, water should be 

 regularly and abundantly given, as it is very important that the 

 plants become firmly established in the soil during the early part 

 of the summer. 



