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and to develope their full powers, in stiff than in light and well 
pulverized earth. For their attainment of requisite strength, in 
one season, they are much dependent on the months of August 
and September; therefore a stiff and unyielding soil, with 
dry weather, would certainly prevent the growth so indispen- 
sable. We have been led to these considerations by the prac- 
tice of a philosophical horticulturist, Mr. Darke of Birmingham, 
as explained in a Lecture delivered by him before the Birming- 
ham Society for the Promotion of Floral and Horticultural 
Knowledge. Mr. Darke’s mode of proceeding meets the diffi- 
culty arising out of soils which we have noticed, by first estab- 
lishing his plants in a prepared compost, and we entertain no 
doubt but the practice of his method will generally be crowned 
with complete success. 3Tr. Darke observed that “The portion of 
the plant which yielded fruit was confined to the offsets or run- 
ners of the preceding year, and from thenceforth they were 
nearly barren. Having observed that runners ceased to be pro- 
duced about the month of September, it followed that the prin- 
cipal part of the sap was deposited subsequent to that time ; and 
since the produce of the following year wholly depended upon 
the deposition of a sufficient quantity to render the blossom buds 
productive, he concluded that if any means could be adopted to 
prolong the time naturally assigned for that purpose, in the same 
proportion would be insured a superior crop of fruit. The ex- 
periment he made was with the Downton Strawberry. As soon 
as the runners had produced roots about half an inch in length, 
and previous to their penetrating the soil, he cut off a quantity, 
leaving on each side of the roots about four inches of the run- 
ner. Having prepared a nursery bed, by throwing out the soil 
to the depth of six inches, and trodden the bottom very hard, to 
prevent the young fibres from penetrating, he then mixed the 
loose soil with a quantity of light half-decomposed stable man- 
ure, which he returned into the bed, raking the whole smoothly 
over, and dividing the surface into drills, six inches assunder 
and one inch deep. He then took the young plant and placing 
a finger upon each end of the runner left thereto, he pressed it 
down in the form of an arch, the plant being on the top, and 
resting on the surface of the soil ; the portions of the runner 
left on each side thus held it firmly, and as appeared to him, 
materially forwarded its growth and strength, by supplying it 
