236 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[July 18. 
in the lower level, which will he a source of nutrition to 
the deeper roots for three or four years, besides being a 
pasture for the roots to revel in; such, at that depth, 
being a matter of great importance during surface 
droughts, which always prove exceedingly injurious to 
the strawberry. 
The upper stratum, containing the mixture of decom¬ 
posed materials, will establish the plant at once,—a 
matter of some importance. We hope, nevertheless, 
that our readers will not suppose that a great amount of 
manurial matter is here intended: no such thing. Too 
great an amount of manures will produce an invincible 
coarseness of foliage, and this will be found to tend to 
barrenness. To establish the plant speedily, and to 
promote durability, especially during dry periods, at the 
blossoming and fruiting, are the legitimate objects to 
aim at. 
And now, the ground prepared, we come to the matter 
of distance. We allow three feet between the rows for 
all the larger kinds,—considering that when fully estab¬ 
lished the plants on either side will extend at least one 
foot; this of course leaves about a foot for the operator 
to tread upon when watering, gathering the crop, Ac. 
Between the plants, for a permanent plantation, we give 
one foot only; but immediately the fruit is gathered we 
destroy alternate plants, thus throwing, the second year, 
the plants at two feet apart. 
And now let us suppose the bed-system to be carried 
out. It must here be observed, that by bed culture is 
not meant the continuing the plants for more than two 
seasons by any means; indeed, we do not advise more 
than one, or what is termed “ the frequent remove sys¬ 
tem.” Beds, however planted, become so crowded, con¬ 
fused, and, by consequence, shaded after the second 
year, that flavour is out of question. 
Beds for strawberries should, by no means, be more 
than four feet wide; indeed, if the single row system 
must be departed from, we should prefer merely double 
rows, or, in other words, beds—if beds it must be—with 
only two rows in them. The beds being forty-two inches 
in width, the rows may be eighteen inches apart; thus 
leaving one foot on each side of the rows, besides an 
alley of a foot or so for the operator. 
Another point we would urge, both in bed culture and 
in single rows: let their direction be, whenever possible, 
north and south; this gives both sides of the row an 
equal amount of sunshine. Indeed, this principle ap¬ 
plies to almost all the products of the kitchen-garden, 
with the exception of summer crops requiring shade; 
and then the plan recommended by our clever coadju¬ 
tor, Mr. Barnes, of running rows of the Marrowfat peas, 
runners, &c., east and west, in order to furnish a shade, 
is excellent. 
We have before stated, that we grow our Elions fol¬ 
iate purposes in a border on the north side of a wall, at 
about five or six feet from the wall. This is an excellent 
plan, and by it the table is constantly furnished until 
October, when the Alpines are in full perfection. Those 
amateurs, however, who cannot spare a wall border, 
may easily accomplish the same object, by so setting 
out their ground, that every year a row of Victoria, 
or Knight’s Marrow Peas, may be sown on the south 
side in the direction before advised. As a rotation the 
Scarlet Runner may be used in alternate seasons, or even 
a row of Jerusalem Artichokes. 
We have a bed of Eltons thus situated, which have 
stood six years, and have received no farther culture 
than thinning out the crowded runners in October, and 
scattering a top-dressing of horse droppiDgs over the 
surface; these are at once a manure and a protection. 
The bed promises this year to be as fine as ever. 
It will be borne in mind that we advised only two 
rows in a bed, eighteen inches apart; in these the plants 
may be placed eight inches apart, and each alternate 
plant removed after the first year's fruiting. Those who 
are severely limited for ground may put tour rows in 
the bed, and remove alternate rows after the first bear¬ 
ing. It must, however, be remembered, that the thicker 
the cropping the less manure must be used, or the end 
in view will assuredly be defeated. 
In all strawberry planting, care should be taken to 
get up the roots carefully with a little ball of soil it pos¬ 
sible. Equal care must be taken that the fibres do not 
becorne dry by exposure; those who have few to plant 
will do well to throw them into a bucket of water as 
they take them up. The roots should not be planted 
deep, and they should be kept regularly moist until 
well established. Of course all weeds must be kept 
under. We would advise those who are planting the 
British Queen, to take care that they are somehow 
protected in the middle of November; any ordinary 
straw or litter will answer, or tree leaves of the pi-evious 
year. Even the asparagus haulm, or that from the 
peas, might be thrown over them; fern, also, is avail¬ 
able in some places; in others, the boughs ol the spruce 
fir. 
Much more has to be said about strawberry culture, 
which must pass on to another opportunity. 
R. Eseington. 
THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 
Ei.ower-gaiideners who aspire to excel in their calling, 
have two very strong temptations to withstand trom this 
time to the end of September. In the first place, we all 
of us know that certain seedling varieties of choice 
plants have a strong tendency to depart from those 
forms or colours for which we chiefly admire them, and 
hence are dilficult to preserve from seeds true to those 
points for which we cultivate them. We all acknow¬ 
ledge this difficulty, and yet we do not, in most in¬ 
stances, make proper allowance to the seedsmen lor it, 
but rather look on them as if they were endowed with 
some magic spell by which they ought to overcome 
such natural tendencies in their seed gardens. Now 
comes the first temptation. We have a beautiful flower¬ 
bed in full bloom, and all from seeds which are variable 
in their nature—but this time the plants turn out just 
to the very tint desired: and if the seedsmen would but 
engage to supply samples so true as these lor the future, 
who would go to the trouble of saving doubtful seeds ? 
Seedsmen, however, may make what arrangements they 
think best, but they cannot always ensure many kinds 
of seeds to turn out quite as we, or they, want them; 
and, therefore, it is that we are now tempted to let a 
certain bed run to seed rather than hazard the chance 
of a failure another season. Yet, it goes a good way 
against the grain to see a choice flower-garden converted 
into a seed nursery, even to the extent of one single 
bed. But what is to be done in such cases is more 
than I can tell. If I had a bed, or a row, or even a 
patch, of true blue branching Larkspur, I would cer¬ 
tainly let it ripen the seeds before 1 removed the plants, 
because I do not believe there is a single seedsman in 
Europe, or elsewhere, who can supply the genuine 
plant. Yet, this fine annual finds a place in every 
third garden in the country; and I recollect the time 
when no larkspur of this tall kind was to be seen but 
the deep blue variety. But since the eight or nine 
varieties of it, of different tints, which are now to be met 
with in every fashionable flower-garden have come into 
competition witli that old sort, the real blue branching 
larkspur can hardly be seen at all; what generally goes 
by that name is a purplish blue plant. The tall lark¬ 
spurs being now in full beauty, any one who has a bed 
of them, and sees this, can easily put me light if 1 am 
I in error; and, moreover, if two or three pods of seeds 
