THE STRAWBERRY. 



585 



rows with a view to keep the fruit clean, and 

 this practice has been almost invariably followed 

 for an unknown length of time, and, indeed, is 

 by some supposed to have given rise to the 

 name strawberry, to distinguish it from goose- 

 berry, the young fruit of which is used for sauce 

 for young geese, and raspberry from the rasp- 

 like appearance of its wood. Others spread long 

 littering- dung between them, and many the 

 sweepings of grass lawns. These, however, are 

 all objectionable, on account of the harbour 

 they afford to snails and slugs. In wet seasons 

 they tend more to encourage mouldiness and 

 damp than any presumed good they effect. 

 New tanner's bark is less objectionable in these 

 respects, and has the effect, which we believe 

 has not been very satisfactorily accounted for, 

 of preventing the growth of weeds. The refuse 

 of flax-mills has also been used, but, like the 

 sweepings of lawns, the short fragments of the 

 woody structure of the flax plant, and the short 

 leaves of the grass, are apt to adhere to the fruit, 

 and often to spoil it. Long narrow boards are 

 sometimes laid along the rows ; this has its 

 advantages, as has also laying twigs of birch, 

 branches of furze (whin), and heath. These, 

 while they support the fruit from the ground, 

 afford less shelter to snails and slugs, and keep 

 the fruit drier. Some support the trusses of 

 fruit by sticking in a row of small twigs on each 

 side of the row, keeping the fruit- stalks in an 

 upright position ; — this is a direct violation of 

 the natural habit of the plant, the fruit of which, 

 if we except the bush and common Alpines, lies 

 close to or reclining towards the ground. The 

 bush Alpine, of which there is both a red and 

 white variety, grows upright, and throws out 

 few or no runners, and the fruit is borne on up- 

 right fruit- stalks, showing above the leaves. 



General culture.— Renew the plantations yearly, 

 or every other year; avoid the barbarous cus- 

 tom of cutting off all the leaves in autumn, as 

 well as of digging between the rows. If manurial 

 applications be absolutely needed, apply them 

 in a liquid state, and that so early in the season 

 as to precede the appearance of the blossom. 

 Watering, upon which so many rest much de- 

 pendence during the swelling of the fruit, should 

 also be avoided, as being wholly uncalled for in 

 a properly prepared soil of 3 feet in depth. All 

 the water applied can scarcely reach the roots at 

 their feeding points, therefore it is useless ; but 

 in very dry soils, if subterranean irrigation could 

 be applied during the growing season of the 

 plant, the advantages would be great. The in- 

 jury the swelling fruit sustains by the operation 

 of watering, unless it coiild be thrown over the 

 whole plantation by a powerful engine, falling 

 on the plants like a general shower of rain, is 

 tenfold greater than all the benefit. Keep 

 the ground quite clear of weeds during summer 

 by hand-weeding and the occasional use of the 

 hoe, and the shallower this operation is per- 

 formed the better. The American mode of 

 culture is thus described by Downing, and as 

 it differs essentially from the general methods 

 followed in Europe, it may be proper for us to 

 notice it here. " Early in April, or in August, 

 being provided with a good stock of young 



plants, select a suitable piece of good deep soil. 

 Dig in a heavy coat of stable manure, pulverising 

 well, and raking the top soil. Strike out the 

 rows 3 feet apart with a line ; the plants should 

 now be planted along each line, about a foot 

 apart in the row. They will soon send out 

 runners, and these runners should be allowed 

 to take possession of every alternate strip of 3 

 feet, the other strip being kept bare by con- 

 tinually destroying all runners upon it, the 

 whole patch being kept clear of all weeds. The 

 occupied strip, or bed of runners, will now give 

 a heavy crop of strawberries, and the open strip of 

 3 feet will serve as an alley from which to gather 

 the fruit. After the crop is over, dig and pre- 

 pare this alley, or strip, for the occupancy of the 

 new runners for the next season's crop. The 

 runners from the old strip will now speedily 

 cover the new space allotted to them, and will 

 perhaps require a partial thinning-out to have 

 them evenly distributed. As soon as this is 

 the case — say about the middle of August — dig 

 under the whole of the old plants with a light 

 coat of manure. The surface may then be sown 

 with turnips or spinach, which will come off 

 before the next season of fruits. In this way 

 the strips or beds occupied by the plants are 

 reversed every season, and the same plot of 

 ground may thus be continued in a productive 

 state for many years." 



Gathering the fruit. — This should be performed 

 when the plants and fruit are dry, more espe- 

 cially such fruit as is intended for preserving, and 

 these should have the fruit gathered without 

 any portion of the calyx or foot-stalk being left 

 attached ; it very much saves the bruising of 

 the berries when sent to the confectioner. 

 Those best adapted for jam and similar pre- 

 serves are Cuthill's Black Prince, when a rich 

 dark conserve is wished for; and the Grove End 

 scarlet when a bright carmine colour is, as it is 

 most generally, wished for. For these purposes 

 we grow no other sort. For preserving whole, 

 Keen's seedling is in high estimation, being both 

 of a large size and of a good colour. These 

 should be picked also without the stalk, and the 

 best formed and finest specimens only selected. 

 With such fruit as are to be sent for dessert 

 the case is different, as these should have the 

 foot-stalks scrupulously preserved, and cut off 

 with a pair of scissors to the length of an inch 

 or an inch and a quarter, according to the size 

 of the variety. We are glad to see this mode 

 of gathering the fruit becoming more general 

 in Scotland than heretofore ; and although the 

 stalks and calyx somewhat tell to the advantage 

 of the grower, the consumer has the satisfaction 

 of believing that the fruit has not been handled 

 by the gatherer. The stalks also admit of their 

 being eaten without soiling the gloves. Those 

 who prefer eating them with port- wine, or sugar 

 and cream, can prepare them for themselves by 

 holding the foot-stalk between the finger and 

 thumb of one hand, and disengaging the fruit 

 from it by using the dessert fork with the other. 

 Strawberries are now so large that they are often 

 eaten with the knife and fork. Those who 

 gather them should put gloves on their hands, 

 and if not, the hands ought to be washed clean. 



