HARDY FRUITS FOR SMALL GARDENS. 



133 



whilst late fruit may be had in the same way on walls facing 

 east or north. 



Those who are really fond of Gooseberries would do well to 

 try them as Cordons, trained upon fences like espalier Apples 

 and Pears, or in lines of not less than 5 feet apart. Any inner 

 fence might well be covered with cordon Gooseberries. This is 

 the mode of culture to make the most of the ground. Straw- 

 berries could be grown between lines of Gooseberries, thus 

 economising also the netting in use. 



4. Strawberries. — These, like Gooseberries, must in the 

 country be netted before they begin to colour, or the birds will 

 not leave one to ripen, and so they, too, are better planted in beds, 

 and not as a sort of edging to the paths, as is so often seen. In 

 order really to supply a family with Strawberries, a good-sized 

 piece of ground must be devoted to them. You should have at 

 least 350 plants, better still 500 ; but unless you have a hobby 

 for trying new varieties, only three, or at most four, need be 

 grown, but as to what they should be opinions would greatly 

 differ. For a light soil do not hesitate to plant Vicomtesse 

 Hericart de Thury for the earliest ; my experience of the earlier 

 sorts on light soil has been distinctly disappointing. For the 

 next gathering President is invaluable, but a new one called 

 Boyal Sovereign may perhaps supersede it. My third would be 

 Countess, in my opinion a grand Strawberry, but too little 

 known ; the berries are not very large it is true, but it is a fine 

 cropper and of glorious flavour. The latest I care to have is 

 either Gunton Park or Lord Suffield. I have never grown 

 Strawberries on a heavy soil, but I am much mistaken if the 

 same selection of varieties would not be best on it as well, 

 adding, perhaps, for an early crop a few of Noble, which 

 certainly has some flavour on clay lands, and for a late crop 

 Latest of All or British Queen. If other varieties are wanted, 

 Lucas, Georges Lesuir, and Filbert Pine are all first-rate. A 

 new Strawberry called Empress of India has lately been in- 

 troduced ; on my light soil it is a bad doer compared with its 

 two fine brethren Lord Suffield and Gunton Park, but its 

 flavour is quite wonderful. It is well worth trying on at all 

 heavy soils. Waterloo is a fine wet-weather Strawberry, but to 

 my mind its dark livid colour is greatly against it. 



5. Baspberries. — It is difficult to say exactly how much 



