Sept.] THE FRUIT GARDEN. 487 
have a part of an imperfect fruit formed which will sometimes 
ripen. The hautboy strawberry is more subject to this than any of 
the other kinds. The plants of either sort should never be taken from 
old neglected beds where the stools had been suffered to spread or 
run into a confused multitude of vines, nor from any plants which 
are not very fruitful; and those offsets which stand nearest to the 
old plants should always be preferred. 
Strawberries in general, love a strong loamy ground, in which 
they will thrive and bear fruit more abundantly than in a light soil. 
The ground should be somewhat moist, for if it is very dry, all the 
watering which is given to the plants in warm dry seasons, will not 
be sufficient to procure abundant crops; nor should the ground be 
made overly rich with dung, for that would cause the plants to run 
into suckers, grow too luxuriant, and render them less fruitful. 
Any time this month that the weather proves moist, you should 
take advantage of it for making your general plantations of straw- 
berries, but if dry and hot, it will be better to defer that work to 
the last week thereof, or first in October, not later if possible, as 
the plants will be greatly benefitted by having time to form good 
roots before winter. But should the weather then prove unfavour- 
able you should proceed to planting, after which, plentiful and fre- 
quent waterings must be given till the plants are well rooted. 
The sets proper for planting at this time, are those produced in 
the present year from the young runners, selecting them as before 
noticed, or such as were taken oft" in June and transplanted into 
nursery beds. When taken up, the roots should be trimmed, the 
decayed leaves picked oft", and also any small vines or runners 
issuing from the plants. 
The ground should be well dug and, if necessary, previously 
manured with a sufficiency of old well rotted dung, then laid out 
into four feet wide beds with alleys between, of eighteen or twenty 
inches, for the convenience of going in occasionally to weed and 
water the plants and to gather the fruit. Each bed is to contain 
four rows of plants, the large kinds eighteen inches distant in the 
rows, and the small sorts fifteen. Close the earth well about the 
roots of each plant, and when finished, water the whole plentifully 
should the weather happen to be dry at the time. 
The old strawberry beds will require to be kept clear from large 
overgrown weeds, and in October are to have their autumn dress- 
ing as there <lirected. 
N. B. If you intend to force strawberries in the winter or early 
spring months, this is the time to pot them for that purpose. The 
alpine and scarlet kinds are the best for forcing; they should be 
strong plants of two years old, and in a proper state for full bear- 
ing. Provide as many pots of about seven inches diameter at top, 
and made in proportion, as you think may be sufficient, and at the 
same time get some good loamy earth, made fine with a spade, 
place a few inches thereof into the bottom of each pot, previously 
laying a shell over each hole as directed on former occasions, then 
take up each plant with a ball of earth to its roots, pare the ball 
neatly round with the knife, clear the plant from decayed leaves 
