364 REMARKS ON THE KINDS AND CULTIVATION OF STRAWBERRIES. 
The mode of growing strawberries in wide single rows, independently of the advantage 
of exposing the foliage more fully to light, possesses the superior advantages which are 
attendant upon all crops which are in equidistant straight lines ; the cultural operations of 
hoeing, weeding, watering, and gathering the fruit, are all performed with greater facility 
than when grown in wide heterogeneous beds. Presuming that the necessary drainage 
of the land has been provided for, the soil should be deeply trenched and highly manured, 
As soon as the runners are ready, let each be laid into a small pot, as if intended for 
forcing ; when the pot is filled with roots, plant them in rows feet apart — this system 
of preparing the plants saves labour and disappointment, less watering is required, and the 
plants are so fully established that they receive no check, but commence growing at once. 
Some authorities are doubtful as to the propriety of removing the runners, our practice is 
to do so, and we question the correctness of the doctrine that advocates their retention. 
The foliage should never be mown or cut off, but carefully removed as it becomes dead, 
and ceases to perform its functions : a little rotten dung may with advantage be most 
carefully pointed in with a fork (not dug with a spade) in the Autumn months. In 
keeping the fruit clean we find that nothing is so good as straw, short grass has been 
recommended, but we deprecate it. In wet summers there cannot be a worse material. 
Sir Joseph Banks conjectured that the strawberry derived its name from the practice of 
laying straw under its fruit. In cases of very fine or particular fruit, it is sometimes 
worth while to tie up the trusses to small sticks to obtain colour and flavour, and it is 
proper to thin the trusses if extra fine fruit is desired. We believe that if the ground is 
well prepared and manured, abundance of good soft pond water applied during the swelling 
of the fruit is in itself sufficient to produce as fine fruit as can be desired ; but in light soils 
and in dry seasons this is a sine qua non. With regard to particular kinds of manure, 
we believe that good stable manure, where it can be got in sufficient quantity, contains 
the greatest quantity of available food for plants, and that guano is an excellent substitute 
for it, but fear there have been many recommendations which are mere nostrums ; we would 
not however discourage farther experiment with artifical manures. We trust that the 
light of science which has dawned upon the practice of gardening will continue to shine 
more and more brightly, dispelling the dark mists of ignorance and prejudice ; and we 
doubt not that many valuable discoveries have yet to be made as regards the application of 
substances, which are best calculated to supply to particular plants their peculiar food. 
The Advantages of the present Mode of growing Strawberries as compared ivith older Practices. 
It was not an uncommon practice in bygone times to appropriate certain portions of the 
soil of a kitchen-garden to the annual cultivation of such crops as were thought most 
suitable to the soil. Thus, strawberry beds, asparagus beds, and quarters of fruit bushes, 
as gooseberries, &c., remained stationary till their produce was worthless. The annual 
planting and destruction of the beds of strawberries is a great advantage as far as the 
rotation of crops is concerned, and we find it advantageous that the crop of strawberries 
should be followed by one of late celery, for which purpose the ground can be cleared in 
good season. In a good garden the soil should seldom be unemployed in producing crops 
unless for the purpose of ameliorating stiff and stubborn soils by exposure to the atmosphere. 
A crop of coleworts may be planted between the wide rows of plants in the Autumn, to be 
drawn out in early Spring before they shade or draw much nourishment from the ground. 
A crop of peas with us is generally the precursor of strawberries in the year in which the 
plantation is made, so that the soil is always under crop, kept clean, and by the free 
admission of sun and air a larger quantity of finer fruit is obtained than was ever practicable 
under the old system of cultivation, — that of crowded and exhausted beds which were the 
nurseries of noxious weeds, and productive of small ill-flavoured fruit. 
In conclusion then, we advise those who would have fine strav/berries to make good 
preparation by trenching deeply and manuring amply. We recommend extra care to be 
bestowed in the preparation of the plants as detailed ; ample space for the development of 
the foliage, and the performance of its important functions ; the removal of all runners 
