THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Makch 23, 1858. 
not a day be lost. What I would recommend, then, 
is to make plantations in July as early as possible; and 
to fruit them the next two summers, and then to break 
them up, unless they possess particular promise. 
Now, we all know, that runners are produced 
liberally in June and July, without any particular 
anxiety ; but it is possible to hasten runners by a little 
attention, and to gain a whole month, which is of the ut¬ 
most importance in this affair. The best practice I have 
ever seen, to carry out this object, was first obsem ed 
by me no less than forty years since. It consisted in 
growing single rows of esteemed kinds specially for 
runners, to force or to make new plantations. On 
each side of these plants was annually strewed, in the 
end of March, a coating of light rich compost; the 
runners, as they shot forth, were almost daily watered ; 
and, by these means, strong plants were obtained weeks 
before those who neglected them. Here it may be 
observed, that there is some difference in the choice of 
runners; it is not by the quantity of fibres alone we 
should judge, but by the stoutness of the crown prin¬ 
cipally.' If any plants have proved somewhat barren, 
the runners should, by all means, be rejected. The 
soil should be deeply dug, and manure put in the 
bottom of the trench, in order to decoy some deep roots, 
which will sustain them in the drought of summer. 
Care should also be taken that some manure is mixed 
with the body of the soil. I think it the best plan to 
plant them twice as thick in the row as they need to be 
ultimately, and to remove or destroy alternate plants, 
after the first year’s crop. The rows should be from 
three feet to three feet six inches apart. 
We come now to the question of digging and spring 
dressing. Some advocate digging between the rows 
just down the centre, others as strenuously oppose it; 
the majority, in these times, being of the latter class. 
I will not affirm that digging should, on no occasion, be 
practised ; but this I say, that if the ground be adapted 
for Strawberry culture, and properly prepared at first, 
there is no occasion for digging : indeed it is a positive 
injury in many cases, as to the frequent runner system. 
Where rows stand over for several years, and the soil 
becomes hard, and manure is required to be introduced, 
digging may be resorted to ; or where young plants are 
much too gross, the spade may be used to check luxu¬ 
riance in the foliage. All that is required, as summer 
culture, is to keep weeds and runners down; and, in 
the beginning of March, to trim all decaying foliage 
clear away. If they are rather weak after a year or 
two of bearing, some manure should be spread round 
the crowns, and between the rows. As for those which 
require to be dug, I recommend that it be done in 
autumn, about the middle of October ; and that only 
one bold spit be dug down the centre between the 
rows, digging deeply, and introducing manures if 
necessary. My reasons for early autumn digging is, 
that spring digging checks too severely; the con¬ 
sequence of which is, that the blossom opens in a false 
condition, and sets badly; this I have often proved, 
and have also been assured of the benefits of early 
autumn digging. By digging in manure, early in 
October, the roots of the Strawberries will be found by 
the period when the blossom-truss is arising, to be 
freely at work amongst the fresh manure. As for bed 
culture, it is seldom we find satisfactory fruit by that 
process, the'chances arc so much against their ripening 
successfully. They become smothered with foliage, 
runners accumulate amongst them in all directions, 
and dead and decaying foliage lodges almost beyond 
the chance of extrication. If a wet period occur at 
ripening time—which is not unfrequently the case— 
who can expect fine flavour from berries which never 
get a glimpse of the sun, and amongst which the air 
can scarcely circulate ? 
Strawberry rows, or beds, dressed early in March 
of all decaying or extraneous matter, are in an ex¬ 
cellent position to produce clean and boldly-developed 
foliage, unimpeded by other matter; and every sum¬ 
mer process requisite is, of course, facilitated thereby. 
I may here remark, on the necessity for applying 
moisture to Strawberries in dry periods. It is well 
known that a good crop cannot be expected, if the 
plants suffer from drought. The most critical period 
is from the first appearance of the blossom-truss, to the 
time when the fruit should be swelling fast: perhaps, 
whilst in full blossom, they demand more attention in 
this way than at any period. In order, however, to 
obtain high flavour, water must be withheld during 
the colouring period; and although they may not be 
large enough for exhibition purposes, they will be 
much more gratifying to the palate. I do not think 
that, as edgings, they are very satisfactory, especially 
in our kitchen gardens ; they are too apt to compro¬ 
mise operations needed by the adjacent crops, whether 
of fruit or vegetables. In very small gardens, how¬ 
ever, persons are sometimes compelled thus to culti¬ 
vate them, owing to the severe limitation as to extent. 
As to earliness, I have rex>eatedly known the earliest 
Strawberries to be gathered from edgings in a low 
and warm situation, bordering a sand or gravel-walk. 
The kinds of Strawberries now have become very 
numerous, and, certainly, noble-looking fruit are pro¬ 
duced ; but I am not aware that any advance of im¬ 
portance has been made in point of flavour. I think 
the true old Pine of former days, with its bottle-neck, 
equal to anything we have as novelties. One advance 
has been made irrespective of size, and that has oc¬ 
curred, apparently, through making use of the Haul - 
hois as a cross ; for we certainly may detect its flavour 
in many of the new kinds, as also trace its character 
in their foliage. 
Let me here protest against cutting away the leaves 
of Strawberries, during the growing season; or, in¬ 
deed, at any period, except at the spring dressing. In 
summer, the foliage is required to form the bud, and 
in winter for protection. If Strawberry plants become 
too thick, or bushy, it points to the propriety of making 
new plantations ; for if leaves be removed to let light 
in, as it is termed, it is only fair that the whole shoot, 
or bud, they belong to, should be removed also. This, 
however, would be found a somewhat tedious process. 
To dress Strawberries, as some do in October, for the 
sake of making the garden look neat and clean, is to 
run the risk of much injury to the crowns and roots of 
the plants. 
It is rather strange that we hear so little about 
Strawberry walls, of late ; about a score years since, 
they were making a great noise ; I suppose they have 
been found rather tedious. There is no doubt, how¬ 
ever, that finer-llavoured fruit can be grown on them 
than on ordinary ground. 
The culture of very late, or succession kinds, does 
not, I think, receive the attention it deserves; for it 
is possible to have a regular succession from the earlier 
part of June until the end of August, as to the larger 
kinds ; whilst the Alpines will carry it on till Novem¬ 
ber. The Elton appears still at or near the head of 
this section ; it is, indeed, a good late Strawberry. 
I am of opinion that if the runners of this kind were 
obtained very early, and, what is termed, “pricked 
out” on good soil, suffered to remain all the winter | 
thus, and planted out in cool aspects in the end of j 
February, that they would be a first-rate September . 
fruit. The moving them in February or March with 
balls, would slightly retard them, and that without 
injury to the crop. R. Eekington. 
