FRA 
end of November, when the pots ffiould be plunged 
into the ground up to their rims, to prevent the froft 
from penetrating through' the fide of the pots •, if 
thefe are placed near a wall, pale, or hedge, ex- 
pofed to an eaft afpedt, or north-eaft, they will fuc- 
ceed better than in a warm filiation, becaufe they 
' will not be forced too forward •, the only care they re- 
quire, is to fecure them from being turned out of the 
pots after froft. The fpring following the plants will 
be fo far advanced as to have filled the pots with their 
roots by the end of April, when they (Should be turned 
out of the pots, and their roots pared ; then planted 
into penny pots filled with the like loamy foil, and 
plunged into the ground in a ffiady fituation, where 
they ihould remain the following fummer-, during 
which time they muft be duly kept dean from weeds, 
and all the runners muft be taken off as faft as they are 
produced ; likewife if there ftiould be any (lowers 
come out, they fhould alio be pinched off, and not buf- 
fered to bear fruit, which would weaken the plants, 
for there cannot be too much care taken to have the 
plants as ftrong as poffible, that they may produce 
plenty of fruit, without which they are not worth the 
trouble of forcing. 
About the middle of October, or earlier, if the au- 
tumn proves cold, the pots Ihould be removed into a 
warmer fituation, to prepare them for forcing ; for 
they fhould not be fuddenly removed from a very cold 
fituation immediately into the ftove or hot-bed, but 
be gradually prepared for it ; but where they are de- 
figned for the borders near a hot wall, they may then 
be turned out of the pots, and planted into the bor- 
ders, that they may have time to get frefh rooting, be- 
fore the fires are made to heat the walls •, when thefe 
are planted, they may be placed very clofe to each 
other ^ for as they are defigned to remain there no 
longer than till they have ripened their fruit, they 
will not require much room, as their roots will find 
fufficient nourifhment below, and alio from the earth 
which is filled into the fpaces between the balls of 
earth, about their roots •, and it is of conlequence to 
get as much fruit as poffible in a fmall fpace, where 
there is an expence to force them early. If the fires 
are lighted about Chriftmas, the .Strawberries in thefe 
borders will be ripe the end of March •, or if the lea- 
ion ihould prove very cold, it may be the middle of 
April before they will be fit for the table. 
In the management of the plants there muft be care 
taken to fupply them with water -when they begin to 
fhew their flowers, otherwife they will fall off without 
producing any fruit ; and, in mild weather, there 
fhould be frefh air admitted to them every day •, but 
as fruit-trees againft the wall muft be fo treated, the 
fame management will agree with the Strawberries. 
If the Strawberries are intended to be forced in a ftove, 
where there are Pine-apples, and no room to plunge 
them in the tan-bed, then the plants Ihould be tranl- 
planted into larger pots in September, that they may 
be well rooted before they are removed into the ftove, 
which fhould not be till December •, but if they are 
placed under a frame the beginning of November, 
where they may be fcreened from the froft, it will 
prepare the plants better for forcing •, and thofe who 
are defirous to have them very early, make a hot- 
bed under frames, upon which they place their plants 
the latter end of Odtober, which will L rmg them 
forward to flower, and then they remove the plants 
into the ftove ; when thefe plants are removed into 
the ftove, they ftiould be placed as near to the glaffes 
as poffible, that they may enjoy the full fun and air 
for when they are placed backward, the plants will 
draw up weak, and the flowers will drop without pro- 
ducing fruit. As the' earth in the pots will dry pretty 
faft when they Hand dry upon the pavement of the 
hot-houfe, or on fhelves, fo the plants muft be duly 
, watered , but it muft be done with difcretion, and 
not too much given to them, which will be equally 
hurtful to them •, if thefe plants are properly ma- 
naged, they will produce ripe fruit in February, which 
is as early as mod people will cliule- to eat them. 
*■ When the fruit is all gathered from the plants, they 
6 
. F R A 
ihould be turned out of the ftove for as they will be* 
of no farther fervice, they- ftiould not remain to take 
up the room ; nor ftiould thofe plants which are 
planted in the borders near the hot walls be left there 
after their fruit is gathered, but immediately taken up, 
that they may rob the fruit-trees of their nouriilimenc 
as little as poffible. 
Where there is no conveniency of (loves, or hot- walls 
for this purpofe, the fruit may be ripened upon com- 
mon hot-beds •, and though they may- not be quite 
fo early as with the other advantages, yet 1 have Teen 
great crops of the fruit ripe in April, which were 
upon common hot-beds under frames, and executed 
at a fmall expence in the following manner. 
The plants were prepared in pots after the manner 
before directed, which were placed in a warm fitua- 
tion in the beginning of October, and about Chriftmas 
the hot-bed was made in the fame manner as for Cu- 
cumbers, but not fo ftrong •, and as foon as the firft 
violent (team of the dung was over, feme old rotten 
dung laid over the hot-bed to keep down the heat, 
or where it can be eaflly procured, neats dung is 
preferable for this purpofe •, then the plants fhould be 
turned out of the pots, and placed upon the bed as 
clofe together as poffible, filling up the interftices be- 
tween the plants with earth •, afterward the plants muft 
have air admitted to them every day ; and if the heat 
of the bed is too great, the plants fhould be raffed up, 
to prevent their roots being fcorched ; and if the 
bed is too cold, the fides of it ftiould be lined with 
feme hot dung : this firft bed will bring the plants 
to flower by the latter end of February, or the be- 
ginning of March, by which time the heat of the 
bed will be fpent, therefore another hot-bed ftiould 
be prepared to receive the plants, which need not 
be fo ftrong as the firft ; but upon the hot dung 
ftiould be laid feme neats dung about two inches 
thick, which fhould be equally Ipread and fmoothed ; 
this v/ill prevent the heat of the bed from injuring the 
roots of the plants, upon this ftiould be laid two 
inches of a loamy foil ; when this lias laid two days 
to warm, the plants ftiould be taken out of the 
firft hot-bed, and turned carefully out of the pots, 
preferving all the earth to their roots, and placed 
clofe together upon this new hot-bed, filling up the 
vacuities between the balls with loamy earth: the 
roots of the plants will foon ftrike out into this frefh 
earth, which will ftrengthen their flowers, and caufe 
their fruit to fet in plenty •, and if proper care is taken 
to admit frefti air to the plants, and fupply them pro- 
perly with water, they will have plenty of ripe fruit 
in April, which will be full two months before their - 
natural feafon. 
The methods pr? fifed to retard this fruit, is firft by 
planting them in the coldeft part of the garden, where 
they may be as much in (hade as poffible, and the foil 
ffiould be ftrong and cold •, when there are fuch places 
in a garden, the fruit will be near a month later than 
, in a warm fituation-, the next is to cut off all' the 
flowers when they firft appear, and if the feafon proves 
dry, to water them plentifully, which will caufe them 
to put out a frefh crop of flowers ; and if they are fup- 
plied with water, there will be a late crop of fruit, 
but thefe are not fo well flavoured as thofe which ri- 
pen in their natural feafon. 
But flnee the Alpine Strawberry has been introduced 
in the Englifli gardens, there is little occaflon for prac- 
tifing this method of retarding the fruit ; becaufe this 
fort v/ill fupply the table the whole fummer, efpeci- 
ally if care is taken to pull off the runners ; and in dry 
feafons to water the plants, without which the blof- 
forris will fall off, without producing fruit. 
There are forne perfons fo curious as to raife the plants 
from feeds, by which they have greatly improved 
fome of the forts -, and if this was more praftifed, I 
am certain it would be found of Angular fervice, where 
the faireft of the fruit of each kind arechofen. The 
feeds fhould be immediately fown when the fruit is 
eaten the beft way is to fow the feeds in pots, placing 
them in the (hade. 
In 
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