Strawberry Cultivation, Sfc, fyc. 425 
♦ 
sitting down before the stoods, would rap with his finger on the 
hives, and so take the bees as they came out. He had been known 
to overturn hives for the sake of honey, of which he was passion- 
ately found. — Jour. o/Jlg. 
STRAWBERRY CULTIVATION, &c., &c. 
BY. WM. R. PRINCE. 
Although pressingly occupied, I cannot forbear making a few 
comments on the article in your May number, headed " Straw- 
berries — their Cultivation." Havinef devoted more time to the 
critical investigation of the merits of the different varieties of 
the Strawberrry and their culture, than perhaps any other person, 
and being desirous only of candidly communicating such views as 
will facilitate the production of this palateable and healthy fruit 
throughout our land. I trust my remarks will not be deemed su- 
perfluous, although so much has already been written on the subject. 
The soil should not be " gravelly," but should be a firm loam, natu- 
rally rich, or made so by manure, such as will retain moisture, but 
sufficiently friable for filtration. A sodden soil is entirely in- 
appropriate. The beds should be about four feet wide, and the plants 
set at about fifteen inches asunder. You have advised correctly 
as to the preparation of the soil for their reception, and on various 
other points. But I would suggest further, that as the numerous 
small weeds which usually spring up in the beds form the greatest 
difficulty to be surmounted, that the beds be dug over several times, 
at intervals of three or four weeks, which will allow nearly or quite 
all the weed seeds to vegetate, and they may thus be annihilated, 
and the land rendered free in a great measure from such annoy- 
ance. The trouble and expense which will be thus saved in their 
after culture, will Aost amply repay this extra labor of prepara- 
tion. In localities north of New York, it will be well during the 
winter to cover the beds with four inches of leaves, straw, or salt 
hay, the former preferred. As strawberry beds are usually re- 
newed every two years, they will, if well manured beforehand, 
produce two full crops without any additional manuring, but if 
this should be requisite, the proper period for performing it is late 
in the autumn. The manure should be that which is perfectly 
decomposed, or the vegetable mould from a forest which has been 
formed by decayed leaves. This should be pulverized, and tHen 
strewed among the plants throughout the beds to the depth of an 
inch. I notice among the varieties you recommend, several 
