Old Strawberry Beds.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 127, 29 May 1907, Page 9

Old Strawberry Beds.

On tbe above subject a writer in " Gardening Illustrated" gives some excellent advice. After referring to .the necessity of removing all weak runners aud. mulching material in good time, he says: —The great drought of the present season has prevented tbe lifting of the rooted runners a lor planting, but the advent of rainstorms has now rectified this enforced delay. I usually complete all this work in August (the English autumn)), but the weather was so hot. and the shortness of water so nuieh felt that it became a matter of impossibility to finish this important work before the middle of Sept-ember. This delay also

causes the newly-planted runners to be |._ weak and possibly immature crowns for, next rear, which will «> ost ,J ,ro W 'spell light crops from the yearling bed.. Eight, stimulating top-dressings or almost any kind should be al.orj.ed, with J a view to encourage and strengthen both . the root and crown growth. S-oot burnt , refuse, wood-ashes, short, decayed manure or a dressing of some artificial. wotila be beneficial for the autumn season. The plants have been suffering so j long from want uf root-moisture than . ( deb'ilitv must follow in a more or le.-s j serious; degree, l-.vorvthing will depend, on the weather of the next few weeks | as affording the hoped-for prospect in, the summer of 1907. Stimulating lop-j dressings, accompanied by wet and mild | periods, will do much to set matters right, and there is not much io fear in the possible excess of growth now. duo ito feeding. Those who .an irrigate the j 'soil with liquid farmyard or other dram-| lings can re-lore lost energy. Any at-. If erupt at, digging would be most detnj mental, bul pointing the surface omj with the spade, so' that the accumulaI lion of broken straw, seedling weeds, land such-like can be buried, and the surface made bright and fresh, will do mo harm. This can well follow the top- ■ dressing already referr d to. for then this I would be placed more immediately within j reach of newly-formed roots, as well as] existing older ones. I have made tins a j rule for many years, and never «itU - any apparent injury to the old and | young strawberry-beds. I have seen J much neglect practised in amateur's gar- , dens as applied to the strawberry quar- i i.ers in autumn and winler. I have even beds grow almost without any al- | tempt sit renovation, mid thus a tl'ick.-l j of leave- and p..or. starved crops. No' one can reasonably expect good crops ot strawberries unless every detail of cul- , ture is zealously practised, and at ten-j .tion to the beds iii autumn i- as import- j :ant as i:i tbe spring. | i The duration of strawberry-beds de-j pends entirely on local circumstances. | They will certainly retain their vigour and preiclui ti\ei:es s longer in some gardens th-iii in other*. 1 used to tind that | the first year's results were practically , nil in a Somersetshire garden, and all L j could hope for Mas a full crop the second, year I'l-oni runners, and which, given J seasonable -wenlber in spring, was obtained. The theory might be reason-

ably supported thai such beds would '•"si. at least, si season loiieei than those which bore heavily the first year follow- ; in« their plan.in-;. This. again, depend. | entirely on the nature ol the soil, 'ilial which "is thin, hungry, or subjeei to' much injury from drought, like thai j which lias been experienced liiis summer, for instance, would invite liability, which i would m'u t.!i"ir. of their stamina. l| .■iometimes sec the old leaves sheared oIT | strawbeiry plants. To :i plant that i« j strictly evergreen it would seem almost j ljsirhnii.ii., to thus ileal with I!.cm, I u( I .t shows at the same time the reserve | of fon-c possessed hy the strawberry ; when it will both restore this waste i force and provide a crop in season—light ; *t may be. From llic fuel that the! strawberry is a slrii-t'y surl'aei-rooting I i subject, it is no wonder that il should i languish under the strain oi a heavy i crop. lor. unless the surface is wlleoiited with ntoisii!ri-prese:\i g material.. ll"» ground, when full of feeding riots, becomes almost dusty nry when, .there i- a lo:._- ;.p< li of rainless d;iys,_ajiii 1 r.o water is applied by hand. ] j Pictures of the iiicn who have been 1 attending the epoch-mar..ing Imperial; (oll.ereiicc in London, mid si unique; photograph of Ihe cunt'civiscr in .-ess Lai ' ut the Colonial Office arc a. 1.0112 the illusLralions in "The Uiuphii " this week. 1 A wide range of sub_e.il is covered, 'some of the events 01 special inleicst to . Aucklanders being th,- A. and l\ A.ssa- ' i-iation's Winter Show (the first of it? kind held in Auckland), the lay-readers' conference sit Hishupscourt, I'arnell. an<l the King's College ( aeh*t Corps excursion to liv- Hot Lakes dist:itt. In looking over .in illiislruled paper many people close it when they come to the end of the pictures. This is a gn>at mistake in Ihe use of ••The Oral he " which is full of good stories and articles. .Make a point of reading "In the (.lab .Smoking-room," ■• t'sistial Impressions," i"• Musings and .Meditations," and s-ome of the capital .short stories. Football. Hugby Union Annual for 1907. The only annual containing the new rules, and pass.d by the N.Z. Rugby Union. Now on sale at all stationers or at Star Oliiee.—(Ad.)