October 2 . 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
unluckily have a constant tendency, especially those of 
the clayey character, to subside into a stratum; through 
the agency, we suppose, of the rains. We have known 
good cultivators, therefore, in marly districts, apply 
marl annually between the rows, and this on hot soils 
had the desired effect. The scourings of ditches or 
pond bottoms, which have lain to dry for some months, 
and then turned, and, if possible, some quick-lime in¬ 
troduced, will be found a capital application to either 
sandy or clayey soils; the latter, of course, is benefited 
also by a liberal application of sand or sandy material, 
old lime rubbish, old and mellow peat, leaf-soil, and 
manures of any kind. 
And now for the preparation of the plot. All good 
strawberry growers agree in the propriety of securing a 
liberal depth of soil; we should say nearly two feet, if 
more, so much the better. Trenching must he had 
recourse to, and if the soil is poor, a good coat of dung 
introduced. That dung, blended with the bottom of the 
trench, should not he by any means rotten; if of rather 
a raw character it will last the longer; and this is re¬ 
quisite, for a deep root in such material is of eminent 
service during hot and dry weather in June, when the 
surface-roots being liable to the caprice of the weather, 
the fruit is steadily maintained by the deep roots. Half- 
decomposed material, dung, or dung and weeds, or 
leaves, being introduced towards the bottom, by placing 
it on the top spit and digging it into the bottom, we 
would next give the second spit a dressing of more 
mellow and rather rottener materials, and dig this in 
with it, and thus will a good foundation be established 
for three or four years, if necessary. The last spit may 
be thrown into a ridge, and thus levelled down last of 
all with a fork ; this will bring the manure a little nearer 
the surface, and mix it better. And now, the whole is 
ready for planting; and the next consideration is hinds, 
distance, and mode of planting. 
We grow chiefly the Blach Prince, the Keens Seedling, 
the British Queen, and the Elton. The Alpines, of 
course, will require special treatment. There are many 
new kinds, some of much merit, especially Myatt's 
kinds; hut we think the amateur will do well to establish 
his main stock with these, and shortly we will give an 
account of some newer kinds. Here we cannot forbear 
mentioning one of great promise, brought out this 
summer by Mr. Chivas, seedsman, &c., of Chester, a 
spirited tradesman, who sent a plant with ripe fruit 
over here to he tasted. We found it of high flavour, 
and a likely appearance, and Mr. C. affirms that it is 
the earliest we have, or nearly so, and a good bearer. 
However, next summer we shall hear more about it, as 
many are for trying it; he has named it Earl of Chester. 
To pursue the subject of planting. Some plant in beds, 
some as edgings, and some in single rows; the last is 
our practice, and the practice of most good cultivators. 
In making a new plantation, of course the first year 
the plants will only attain half their size; we, therefore, 
plant them twice as thick in the row as we intend them 
ultimately to remain, and in the beginning of August, 
or when the crop is gathered, we cut every other plant 
up; this gives the remainder room to ripen a good bud. 
Three feet we do not consider too much between the 
rows, and the plants ultimately two feet apart in the row, 
so that by double thickness in the row, they may be 
planted exactly one foot apart at the first. We are 
aware that practice differs in distance as well as other 
things; but this, we believe, will produce the greatest 
crop of good strawberries, which, whatever market-men 
may do, ought to be the aim of every private grower. 
There must be no drill drawn for the plants; the best 
way is, after stretching the line, to make a mark with 
the end of a rod, having a notch in it to ride cross- 
legged over the line, and then to pull the line up and 
plant by the mark. Care must be taken not to bury 
the hearts of the plants, which is soon done if the 
planter is awkward; and in order to avoid this, it is 
well (if the soil is tolerably dry) to pass the foot lightly 
down the line before planting. 
The runners should he taken up carefully with a 
trowel, every fibre secured, and, if possible, every little 
ball of soil secured too, and planted forthwith. No 
tying about, or drying up, permitted. As soon as 
planted, they must receive a thorough watering, and 
this may have to he repeated once every two days for a 
week or two, in order that no time he lost. As soon as 
they are rooted in their new situation, liquid manure 
may he had recourse to until the plants get strong, 
when it may he dispensed with, and by persevering 
attention the plants will be very stout indeed by the 
middle of September, and forming a strong bud in the 
centre of each; henceforth, no excitement need be 
applied, they will sink gradually into a state of repose. 
We forgot to say that not a leaf must be cut off on any 
pretext whatever, from the removal of the runners in 
July until the following February, or rather March. Of 
course, the plantation must be kept clear of weeds; and 
those who have tender kinds, such as the British Queen, 
will do well to throw a little litter of any kind over 
them during the hard frosts of winter. 
Any little detail of proceedings which the severe 
limitation of our pages precludes the possibility of 
entering fully into, may be found in that most useful 
little book of general reference, The Cottage Gardeners’ 
Dictionary, which, we do think, will he found a good 
pocket-assistant to all those who have little time, and 
are very much in earnest. Raspberry in our next. 
R. Errington. 
THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 
Companion to the Calendar for October. —Beauti 
ful as the first-rate flower-gardens generally are about 
the beginning of October, like the Crystal Palace, they 
will be stripped this month. The contents of the one 
will have to be so packed as to occupy as little room as 
possible in houses, pits, and frames; or in the cellars or 
storerooms in-doors, or may bo in the attic—the safest 
place about a house for the old Scarlet Geraniums, if 
the frost can be kept from them. The contents and non- 
contents of the Crystal Palace we have nothing to do 
with at present; what we have learned about the dis¬ 
tribution of colours in either, must also give way to this 
monthly companion. Alstrcemerias, the first on the 
list, must be planted, or transplanted, this month, but 
the next, or the following, and even the end of February 
will do, only that October is the best. Van Houtt’s seed¬ 
ling Alstrcemerias are very pretty, and they sport natu¬ 
rally like Sweet-williams, when a few sorts are growing 
together in one bed, so that there is no end to the varie¬ 
ties, nor any use in naming them. Any light rich soil 
will do to grow them in, and if it is naturally damp at 
the bottom, all the better, if it is well drained. Their 
roots are not unlike young asparagus roots, and they 
have eyes in the same way; these roots should be set in 
rows in a bed no more than six inches apart, and nine 
or ten inches from row to row ; they should be covered 
six inches deep, and if the winter sets in very hard, a 
layer of loaves, or something of that sort, should he put 
over them till February. They do not come above 
ground until the end of March, unless the winter is very 
mild. Early in April the bed might be sown with the 
blue Nemophila, which would then be in bloom at the 
same time with the Alstrcemerias. After flowering, the 
roots should be taken up and dried, and again re-set in 
October. It is customary to keep these Alstrcemerias 
three years in the bed without removing them, but that 
hurts the roots very much, as they bury themselves 
