Mar.] 



THE FRUIT GARDEN. 



383 



expense and the trouble of its formation. It would be of 

 great importance to have iv so constructed, that the beds 

 might be supplied with plenty of water at the least possible 

 expense. Either of the above methods would answer well, or 

 if there be the convenience of a small island in a pond or 

 piece of water, it would be an admirable situation for a straw- 

 berry-garden, and would answer the purpose, provided that 

 the surface was not too high above the level of the water. In 

 such a situation, beds made in the common way would answer 

 very well, as the roots of the plants would get down into a 

 cool wet bottom, which they are fond of in summer. In win- 

 ter, when they might probably suffer from being too long 

 kept wet, the water might be let down to a lower level ; but 

 if the plantations be annually made, this precaution would not 

 be necessary. Strawberries may be secured from the attacks 

 of birds by surrounding the compartment, where they are 

 grown, with wattled hurdles, made close on purpose, or ren- 

 dered so by drawing in a few branches in the places at which 

 birds might penetrate, placing them upright like a fold, and 

 then covering the whole top surface with netting, supported 

 high enough to admit of getting conveniently to gather the 

 fruit. The fruit of Alpine strawberries, and probably some 

 of the other prolific sorts, may be retarded till late in the sea- 

 son, by going over the plants in May, or when they come into 

 blossom, and carefully cutting off all the bloom with a pair 

 of scissars, preserving the leaves as much from injury as pos- 

 sible ; this is repeated until towards the middle of J une, when 

 more blossoms appear, and those are left to produce fruit, 

 which they readily do until destroyed by the autumnal frosts. 



