64 
yf. ^anneH if ^on6 ’ hftrau)derry ^i6t. 
STRAWBERRIES. 
We respectfully solicit your orders for the finest plants from the most complete and 
best kept collection in England. Swanley has always been known to be the 
largest and best Strawberry growing district in the World. 
Seven Aeres grown entirely for the Runner Plants all in separate beds, so that 
every kind shall be true to name. 
Strawberry is one of our most important fruits, and should bo bettor understood and grown ; 
^ J when so, a full crop would bo almost a certainty every year. The first and chief aim should 
f bo to have three inches of good manure evenly spread on the soil, then well trenched or deeply 
dug, and turned over the second and even third time, well mixing the manure with the soil ; this 
should be done not later than July. Then have fine young green plants from us, trim off all 
the leaves except one or two, place the roots as in Fig. 4, with the crown well above the soil, 
which tread firmly ; this done, well water them, should the soil or weather be dry, until they got 
well into growth. Beyond this little else is needed but hoeing until just before the fruit shows colour 
the following year when the ground should be carefully covered with clean straw ; bo Ciireful to 
place it close up and round the plants ; at all times cut away the runners and the crop will be 
large. If fine exhibition fruit is' required, and the weather is dry, make four or six holes with 
a crowbar round the plants, and fill up with liquid manure three or four times a week, and the 
fruit will be much increased in size. The berries must be thinned and none left but those almost 
.sure to come in for exhibition. Always keep them free from weeds. Remove runners as they 
appear. 
The four accompanying illustrations represent, as plainly .as a finger post, why and how plants grow, do well , and 
‘J/fj'A VtP.THn.. 
f^o. 1 is planted much too deep. tio. 2 has its roots rammed and jammed too close together, wants its roots spread. 
No. 3 is far too much above soil, nearly starved, and the life blown out of it in windy weather. No. 4, being 
properly and naturally planted in the right way and time, clearly illustrates its far out-growing the others’, or in 
other words, showing right and wrong way of planting. Strawberries planted in August will bear fine large fruit the 
following year. Fruit will be coming on, all things made sunny, and the garden going on merrily. The great and 
most essential thing is to well dig and manure the soil ; let it he so done that the manure is well mingled. Soil 
cannot be too well pulverised. As an instance— in Swanley district the ground for Potatoes is ploughed five times, 
with the result that we have the best quality of this vegetable in the world. The ploughboy says, “ Potatoes must have 
plenty of crumb.” The same remark applies to Strawberries. Hoe an inch of fine dusty soil on the surface, this will 
keep the under soil moist and the sun out ; they will then withstand any drought. After well preparing the soil, 
level and roll or tread it, and the planting done with a small spade ; make sure that the roots of the plants inserted are 
well spread out, press the soil down firmly with the foot until the crown is just above the soil (See No. 4.). This 
firming should be repeated fortnightly imtil the plants are well established. Let there be 2 ft. 6in. distance between 
each row, and 2 ft. from plant to plant. Many of our best growers in Kent will have them 3 ft. apart always, and 
say, “ We must have fine fruit, small fruit never pays.” To see what is wanted, and what to avoid, is the ait of 
gardening j by adopting the above instructions, and applying the same to all gardening operations, the garden will bo a 
greater success and pleasure. Give way to leisure and all will revert to a wildeme.ss. If you want to succeed, let all 
your garden operations be guided by calmness and good sense ; be collected in everything you undertake, and do all you 
can to assist and coax Nature, dive deeply into the cause and effect — remedy is often easy if you are anxious — when so, 
one can hardly be otherwise than succesrfub 
