TIIK MARKET CULTURE OF STRAWBERRIES. 



159 



British Queens are grown, and the culture there differs in wider 

 planting, possibly because of deeper soil, while four years are 

 considered long enough to keep a crop on the same land. The 

 first year's plants have the runners picked off by hand, and in all 

 cases the land is kept scrupulously clean from weeds. Farm- 

 yard manure is preferred ; shoddy and soot are used, the latter 

 tending to keep down slugs. 



As is well known, the Aberdeen strawberries come in after 

 our own are done, and my friends there use many more kinds : 

 Vicomtesse de Thury, Black Prince, King of the Earlies, for the 

 first crops, andMyatt's Improved, Rivers' Eliza, Paxton, President, 

 and Keens' Seedling, with British Queen for main crop. They 

 are planted 30 by 15 inches apart, and three years is the limit of 

 a paying crop, but on deep or very highly manured soil as much 

 as eight years ; by the use of early and late sorts the picking is 

 extended to eight weeks. The planting so far north is necessarily 

 deferred till April. The alleys are lightly dug between during 

 spare time in winter ; the rainfall doubtless settles the soil in that 

 district, and thus allows of what would be a wrong practice else- 

 where. 



In the Evesham district, where Lord Sudeley has established his 

 fruit farms, the general practice is to plant 30 by 18 inches, and to 

 allow a plantation four or five years. Sir Charles Napier and Paxton 

 are grown for punnet work, and Stirling Castle, President, and 

 the old Scarlet Carolina Pine for jam, the latter, although small, 

 making the best preserve, and under Mr. Beach's system the 

 fruit keeps its whole condition and colour. The picking lasts 

 about five weeks, and planting is done in early autumn and 

 spring. After the crop is gathered the runners and spare foliage 

 are removed by bagging hooks, and the mulch taken off. Hoeing 

 is then done by hand or horses, and the plantations left till the 

 spring. 



It is well known that Cornwall supplies the first strawberries. 

 Alice Maud is the best early, President and Paxton for main 

 crop. President carries badly, and is used for home markets. 

 The Cornish plant is closer than others — 20 by 14 inches for Alice 

 Maud, and 2G by 16 inches for others. From the nature of the soil, 

 possibly, and in consequence of more frequent rains, the Cornish 

 beds last as long as fifteen years. This is a great point in their 

 favour. My friend there picks two tons a day. When it is 



