GARDENING.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1823, 29 January 1863, Page 5

GARDENING.

FbBROABY. : ;; the stbawbebby. *: . . "* jx. The act of eating this fruit, says an eminent,:' medical writer, cleanses the teeth and gums, purifies the breath,, assists , digestion, fortifies the y stomach, and being of itself entirely soluble; y: turns sour or undergoes fermentation jf ? in- mahy '< cases itiß entirely medicinal.removing rheumatic'af- JJ flections, and other diseases arising' fiwin y; tion of the system. •;: •":'•-; till JThe strawberry, genus fragaria ; icosandria poly- : Jl gynia class, and order of Linnwu's' and- 'llbi_hm % bf; Ji the natural system. The month of February is V, the best month in the year for : fonrfing new 1 beds j from runners. Having fixed on the spot fbr-ybur ??v< plantation, let your bed bo not more than four. feet J - wide, to enable you to weed and gather! the fruit, y>£ without placing your foot upon- it. In prept^hg- y • ground, let it be dug , from two to three* fefetyf.' deep, and at least 6 inches of good stable du6g^»nfc ■ " at the bottom ofthe trench, add some more anngy |. amalgamated with the top soil ; commence one -'J end of the bed, and as soon as sufficient ; ia*-4ug^ fy plant the runners therein, one 8 inohes from either |; side and one in the centre, taking care that* you J'rl use only those runners that, spring from^V-fre^Vv bearer, and if enough of them, only thef first' one,y?t» if not, then the second; A becl: thus: made, y? will last for three seasons without requiring but a ■' y top dressing in each spring and autumn/ and ; if Ang -\ to the depth above stated, will sustain a long <&n- y£ tinued drought ; but soil has something to do with | productiveness. If clayey or stiff ldam^tKe'Ta^ve^y? is right, but if very light or sandy, cowdun^^thev^ best, as being cooler and more cohesive; t Maiiures^ll suitable for top dressing; the best for August is #ll leaf mould pointed in with a stick or -hahdf f&ti.fli and 3 ozs nitrate of soda to* eaoh' sqiu^'>yart,yS| sprinkled over at the same time : ; for^Aufiimii^Sl^ dressing, bone dust and charred turf.- 'Soot ii als6%p an excellent top dressings -.and tliero*is acaroely^-f any stimulant eqaal to soot wateftfor -the'iß-firaw-y^l berry. . \. ■ • '• y r J 'JjyJrJjJ As we cannot get bonedust, I save' all the jboae4y>|-i that are brought to the house, until there isendugli*^ for a fire, and when so, I char them, cdveriiigthenity| with turf, and I find that it is an excellent 'assis-'i'*::: tance in all gardening operations. After 'ope&ijS^ tions. Do not, as many recommend, takesff.?£hefc;f^ runners as soon as they appear, but stop;. ! tfiemy^ when they have two rootlets; the taking thOnis off does not either increase or enlarge the fruit,; and for' yy every one thus -taken off, two more w^k bnos ;-v will very probably be thrown oif to tbe detriment /% ofthe root, aud tothe ensuing orop, as -ihe^lasfc.y?! thrown off would have formed the fruit stalks of the next season.- Where convenient, lay dafe/orM^ or glass beneath the fruitto keep; the rata * fronvf ~0l dashing the dirt upon it. Should ithe weather, bdlfell very dry during the time of bloom, andthe*g^tt^d?yp only dug one spit deep, aplentifuLwa^ring^yei^lf^l third day is sufficient to reach the spopjjol^ipi^l months of roots which will be fuUy as low^';w§re(i|# dug too. When ypii take off runners^at^h^lßSl^g the fruit is ripening, do not throw them awa^ibStl^P save them with all decayed leaves ; 'throw^MpjS^^ salt over them, they form your best *mauiiilflW^^ spring dressing ; never cut off healthy ile^tes' ; -as)ii|f^ the practice of some, it is bad gardening,^stthey3lS furnisha considerable portion to the^hutriinent;i)|fS the plant itself-r^never dig' between; roWs'if it ' : iffi%ms be avoided, inasmuoh asit ; bufc"off th« 4 sj#ifip]i^|S and to furnish new ones, the :Bt^ngthiit>fi||li^_»i^^ is sent downwards instead of remaining^tbf>t^.at*a^>^® • the fruifc .-"... • : -y*^|||^S When the bed formed as - above, has -^(Seli^ii^^S bearing three ydars, and a ne^t one-fotnw^ftli^a bed, will be in "eioelle'nt ; condition foi?%iffittl^B^P bedafc vety little trouble or expense ; Jot^ymi^^^m throwing it out two feet deepand giMng;^^*¥^S seaweed bix ihoHes thiok.'ihak^ . l an : 4p^hPß wbtch.with, the usual treatment., wo^la *^^P^^H years in bearing^ " ' ':'y i "v v >" ■ w * t ."^^^§|| :^^^ N.B.r-The beat jsray to secure st^^pJ^tll^^S .anaw«bed, is to Mnk&hiaU;^ filled with a rioh moiild, lay the tijmcielM^M^H ;held so that the,^iyind'. will hbtlbJ6^iH^i^|^S i ityy soon.fill tlje ';^o,ts'-with ; -; turned out when ?eqttired f ;^'Utf^^^&^^Hß ,xng sppngio^s.o t .- .», ;V . ; .,- .-,._• : . ,- :^%#.^^^l^^^