FRA 
Will fomettmes ripen * this barrenhefs is not peculiar t6 
Strawberries, but is general to all thofe plants which 
have creeping roots, or {talks ; and tne more they in- 
creafe frOm either, the fooner they become barren, 
and this in fome degree runs through the vegetable 
kingdom ; for trees and jlirubs which are propagated 
by cuttings, are generally barren of feeds in two ge- 
nerations, that is, when they are propagated by cut- 
tings, which were taken from plants railed by cut- 
tings j this I have conftantly found to Hold in great 
numbers of plants, and in fruit-trees it often hap- 
pens, that thofe forts which have been long propa- 
gated by grafts and buds, have no kernels. But to 
return to the choice offthe Strawberry plants ; thefe 
fhould never be taken from old negieded beds, 
where the plants have been buffered to fpread or run 
into a multitude of fuckers, nor from any plants which 
are not very fruitful ; and thofe offsets which Hand 
neareft to the old plants, fhould always be preferred 
to thofe which are produced from the trailing (talks 
at a farther diftance ; and the Wood Strawberry is 
beft when the plants are taken frefh from the woods, 
provided they are taken from fruitful plants, be- 
caufe they are not fo liable to ramble and fpread, as 
thofe which are taken from plants, which have been 
long cultivated in gardens ; therefore thofe who are cu- 
rious in cultivating this fruit, fhould be very careful 
. in the choice of their plants. 
When the plants have taken new root, the next 
care is if the winter prove fevere, to lay fome old tan- 
ners bark over the furface of the bed between the 
plants, to keep out the froft : this care is absolutely 
neceffary to the Chili Strawberry, which is frequently 
killed in hard winters, where they are expofed with- 
out any covering •, therefore where tanners bark can- 
not eaiily be procured, faw-duft, or fea-coal allies 
may be ufed j or in want of thefe, if decayed leaves 
of trees, or the branches of Evergreen-trees with their 
leaves upon them, are laid over the beds, to prevent 
the froft from penetrating deep into the ground, it 
will fecure the plants from injury. 
The following fummer the plants fhould be con- 
ftantly kept clean from weeds, and all the runners 
fhould be pulled off as fall as they are produced ; if 
this is conftantly pradifed, the plants will become very 
ftrong by the following autumn ; whereas when this 
is negieded (as is too frequently feen) and all the run- 
ners permitted to ftand during the fummer feafon, and 
then pulled off in the autumn, the plants will not be 
half fo ftrong as thefe where that care has been taken ; 
therefore there will not be near the fame quantity of 
fruit upon them the following fpring, nor will the 
fruit be near fo large and fair ; and where proper 
care is taken of the plants the iirft fummer, there is 
generally a plentiful crop of fruit the fecond fpring •, 
whereas when this is neglected, the crop will be thin 
and the fruit fmalL 
As this fruit is very common, there are but few per- 
fons who cultivate it with proper care •, therefore I 
(hall give fome directions for the doing of it, which, 
if carefully pradifed, will be attended with fuccefs. 
The old plants of Strawberries are thofe which pro- 
duce the fruit, for the fuckers feldom produce any till 
they have grown a full year •, therefore it appears how 
neceffary it is to diveft the old plants of them ; for 
wherever they are buffered to remain, they rob the 
fruitful plants of their nourifhment in proportion to 
their number ; for each of thefe fuckers fend out a 
quantity of roots, which interfere, and are fo elofely 
matted together, as to draw away the greateft part of 
the nourifhment from the old roots, whereby they 
are greatly weakened •, and thefe fuckers alfo render 
each other very w r eak, fa that from hence the caufe of 
barrennefs arifes ; for I have known where the old 
plants have been conftantly kept clear from fuckers, 
they have continued very fruitful four or five years 
without being tranfplanted ; however, it is the beft 
way to have a fnccefilon of beds, that after three years 
(landing they may be taken up ; becaufe by that time 
they will have exhaufted the ground of thofe vegetable 
FRA 
faffs, neceffary for the nourifliment of that fpeefts of 
plants j for it is always obferved, that Strawberries 
planted on frefh land are the. mod fruitful. . 
The next thing to be obferved, is in autumn to. di- 
veft the plants of any firings, -or runners, which may 
have been produced, and alio of all the decayed leaves, 
and the beds cleared from weeds; then the paths 
fhotiid be dug up, and the weeds buried which were 
taken from the beds, and fome earth laid over the fur- 
face of the beds between the plants; this will ftrengthen 
the plants, and prepare them for the following fpring;, 
and if after this, there is fome old tanners bark laid 
over the furface of the ground between the plants, it 
will be of great fervice to them. In the fpring, after 
the danger of Hard froft is over, the ground between 
the plants in the beds fhould be forked with a narrow 
three-pronged fork, to loofen it, and break the 
clods ; and in this operation, the tan which was laid 
over the furface of the ground in autumn will be bu- 
ried, which will be a good dreffing to the Strawber- 
ries, efpecially in ftrong land ; then about the end of 
March, or the beginning of April, if the furface of 
the beds is covered with mofs, it will keep the ground 
moift, and prevent the drying winds from penetrating 
the ground, and thereby fecure a good crop of fruit ; 
and the mofs will preferve the fruit clean, that when 
heavy rains may fall after the fruit is full grown, 
there will be no dirt walked over them, which fre- 
quently happens, fo that the fruit raid be waffled 
before it is fit for the table, which greatly diminifhes 
its fiavour ; therefore where this method is pradifed, 
the fruit may be had in perfedion. 
The foil in which the Chili Strawberry is found to fuc- 
ceed beft, is a very ftrong brick earth, approaching 
near to clay •, in this foil I have feen them produce a 
tolerable good crop, and the fruit has been extremely 
well flavoured ; and if fome Care be taken to pull off 
the runners as they are produced, fo as to leave 
only the old plants, I make no doubt but thefe plants 
may be as fruitful as the common Hautboy : this 
I mention from one or two experiments, which have 
been made by my diredion, and not from theory. 
There are fome perfons who are fo fond of Straw- 
berries, as to be at any expence to obtain them early in 
the year, and to continue them as late in the feafon as 
poffible ; and fhould I omit to give fome directions 
for both thefe managements, they would fuppofe 
the book very definitive ; therefore I fhall mention 
the pradice of fome few, who have fucceeded beft 
in the management of thefe fruits •, I fhall begin with 
diredions for obtaining thefe fruits early in the fpring. 
Where there are any hot walls ereded in gardens 
for the producing early fruit, it is very common 
to fee Strawberries planted in the borders, that the fire 
which is applied for ripening the fruit againft the 
walls, may alfo ferve the purpofe of bringing forward, 
the Strawberries ; but where this is pradifed, the 
Strawberry plants fhould be annually renewed, taking 
up the plants. as foon as their fruit is over, and all 
the earth of the borders fhould be taken out; at leaft 
two feet deep, and frefh earth brought in, which will 
be equally good for the wall trees ; but, as was before 
obferved, that the old plants of Strawberries only are 
thofe which produce the fruit, there fhould be a fufii- 
cient number of plants brought up in pots; to fup- 
ply the border annually ; and the fame muft be done 
if they are to be raffed in a common hot-bed, or in 
ftoves ; therefore I fhall begin with giving diredions 
for railing and preparing plants for thofe purpofes. 
The forts which are the moft proper for forcing early, 
are the Scarlet; the Alpine, and the Wood Strawber- 
ries, for the Hautboy grows too large for this purpofe. 
In the choice of the plants, there fhould be an eipe- 
cial care taken to have them from the moft fruitful 
plants, and thofe which grow immediately to the 
old plants ; they fhould be taken off in autumn, and 
each planted in a feparate fmall pot filled with loamy 
foil, and placed in a fhady fituation till they have taken 
root ; after which they may be removed to an open 
fituation, where they may remain till the middle or 
5 R end 
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