18 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
May, 1910, 
eR 
THE STRAWBERRY. 
By W. J. ALLEN. 
Owing to the great demand for good 
strawberries, I have had frequent 
inquiries as to the soils best adapted to 
their growth, how the land should be 
prepared, and the care of plants after 
setting out. 
In nine-tenths of the country towns I 
have visited, either through lack of 
moisture or a spirit of apathy on the 
part of the fruit-growers and gardeners, 
Ihave found that few, if indeed any, 
strawberries are obtainable, and this 
during the season when they should be 
most plentiful. Iam quite aware of the 
fact that in dry districts it is impossible 
to grow paying crops without water; but 
there are many localities where a 
sufficient supply can be had, and where 
strawberry growing could be made a 
paying industry, and there is plenty of 
room left yet for all of our growers to 
énlarge their beds, and, if they will grow 
‘good fruit, still find a ready sale for it, 
Early berries as a rule bring the 
highest prices, but the medium and late, 
if of good size, quality, and deeply 
coloured before being gathered, are also 
very profitable. 
The packing and gradiny of the fruit 
must not be neglected. This important 
factor in the realisation of high prices 
has, as yet, received very liutle atiention, 
many growers considering it a waste of 
time; but if they would take the trouble 
to look int» the windows of the fruit- 
shops, where all fruits are seen clissed in 
different sizes, one would imagine that 
their first thousht would be, “ Why, 
what Improvement this careful 
grading and makes in tho 
general appearance of the fruit; in future 
I will see that my fruit is arranged 
alr 
packing 
properly in the cases, aud so get the top 
price for it!” I am sure that when 
once they do this they will never again 
relapse into the old slipshod method. 
— Situation. — 
In Canada where I have picked wild 
strawberries of the very best flavor, and 
where this berry is indigenous, it never 
' injury to the fruit and foliage. 
grows in hollows, or where the water 
lodges, but is found growing on knolls, 
or ground through which water passes 
freely, and doing especially well on soil 
been enriched by fallen leaves and decay- 
ing vegetation. In this respect, we 
cannot do better than follow nature’s 
teaching, by choosing high and dry land. 
Boggy or swampy spots should be avoided 
unless drainage is provided, In this way 
most excellent strawberry ground may be 
sometimes obtained. Strawberries are 
always most highly flavoured when grown 
in the sun, and the bed should be situated 
so that it will get every ray of light from 
sunrise to sunset, berries ripening in the 
shade being indifferent in quality and 
lacking in colour and flavour. Shelter is 
yood in bleak exposed places. to break 
the violence of the wind, and prevent 
Deep- 
rooted, and not surface-rooted. trees 
should be chosen for break winds around 
orchard or gardens ; and last, but not 
least, the bed should be so situated that 
water can be applied when necessary, 
Localities where late frosts are frequent 
should be avoided. 
— Soil. ~ 
The Strawberry belongs to the natural 
order of Rosacece, and is known botani- 
cally as Fragaria—from the Latin 
fragrans (fragrant), It may be grown 
successfully in any soil which will produce 
good crops of corn or potatoes. ‘Tobe 
most productive, however, the soil must 
be well drained, deeply worked, either by 
subsoiling or trenching, and well enriched 
with manure. It is true, good crops may 
be obtained without trenching, but not 
in such excellence, profusion, or certainty 
in all seasons Taken as a whole, the 
very beat soil, and one of the best adapted 
to the largest number of varieties, is a 
deep sandy loam. Certainly a rich clay 
loam, with a good under-draining, will 
give as large a yield, but the fruit will 
not ripen as early as in the sandy loam 
Avoid, if possible, a stiff heavy clay. : 
— Preparing the Soil. — 
If the land has not been fallowed the 
year previous to being planted, it is 
important that crops should have been 
grown which required clean culture, such 
ascorn, potatoes, and garden crops, as 
they are of great advantage in putting 
the land in good condition, and freeing 
it from weed seeds. Cowpeas, however 
when grown and turned under, answer 
the same purpose, and add _plant-food to 
the soil, The soil should be well drained 
to a,depth of 2 or 3 feet, and ploughed and 
subsoiled at least 15 inches deep. If the 
subsoil is p oor, it should only be stirred> 
but not bronght to the surface; in any 
case, the land should be well worked, 
and enriched to a depth of at least 15 
inches in the spring, then ‘as previously 
stated, either fallowed or planted with 
vegetables which admit of being removed 
before the preparation’ and planting * of 
the strawberry in the autumn. ‘The root 
of the strawberry will extend as far down 
as the soil has been prepared and enriched 
and the yield will be abundant in pro- 
Land deeply prepared and 
heavily manured retains the moisture 80 
portion. 
culture, - and 
enables the plants to produce the greatest 
quantity of fruit. 
essentail to strawberry 
— Propagation, — 
Propagation may be effected by seeds, 
runners, and division of the plants. 
Seed is rarely used, and only for raising 
The seed should be sayed 
from the finest berries, and must be fully 
ripe when gathered. The berries should 
be squeezed by hand in water, and tho 
new varieties. 
seeds which are on the surface of the 
pulp will, when detached from the skin 
sink to the bottom. After several wagh- 
ings, to remove as much of the pulp as 
possible, the whole should be strained 
through a cloth and dried, 
Seed should be sown in the autumn or 
spring, in the light rich, open soil, tig 
the best to sow in boxes or pots, so that 
more care can be given than in the open 
ground. When the young plants havo 
made four leaves they should be trang- 
planted, about three inches apart, into 
small beds. The following season aie 
will be ready for the plantation. 
Plants are so freely produced by 
runners, in the case of most of the 
varieties, that no other method of prop- 
agation is needed, the best plants being 
those first formed on the runners, 
