Few private growers are able or willing to devote frame or pit room to the cultivation of early strawberries, and not many market gardeners have as yet adopted this plan of securing profitable early crops - a matter somewhat surprising, as there is no doubt about the certainty of remunerative prices being thus realized, and that too, at a minimum cost, more especially in the shape of labor. The plan of utilizing the front or side walls of vineries and other houses, for affixing the framework of shallow pits is undoubtedly a good one, as these may either be cheaply heated with a single flow and return pipe, or if narrow and abutting on to forcing houses, no piping is needed to forward early crops. Any other kinds of pit or portable frames, are also available for strawberry culture, and if only the latest of the supplies, or those intermediate between the forced and open-air crops, are secured in frames, the gain in house room and economy in labor is considerable. Those who have good room in their frame ground, and plenty of frames and lights at their disposal might, without much trouble, convert some of their old hot-beds into suitable positions for a few beds of strawberries, and would not regret having done so.

The beds, which may be made very shallow, should have a good slope to the south and west, and should be made as solid as possible. After the frames are put on, if these are deep, some manure should be thrown in and trodden down, so as to bring the surface to a uniform height from the glass, and on this about 6 inches of good loamy soil may be placed. This when completed allows head-room to the plants of not less than 10 inches. If pits are employed these may also be similarly prepared, a layer of half-rotten manure well trodden down, and about 6 inches in depth being ample. In every case we should prefer to destroy the old plants and replant every summer, as we find young plants produce the earliest and finest fruit, and besides the old plants are apt to become too crowded to be profitable. For this method of culture we also prefer to lift the plants intended for the frames either from beds where they were allowed to root naturally and remain untouched all the winter and spring, or else from beds into which the young plants were pricked out during the previous summer. In either case we thus procure strong, early, and well-rooted plants, which lift readily and quickly become established in their fruiting quarters.

During this week we have lifted, from a narrow border, and sent away sufficient well-rooted plants from last year's runners to plant a pit about 150 feet long and 6 feet wide, and yet have abundance left.

Those who have not a stock of plants thus prepared, I would advise to at once layer the requisite number in 3-inch or 4-inch pots, severing them, and finally planting out before they become much root-bound. A distance of about 15 inches apart each way is ample for any sort, especially seeing that the clusters of fruit must of necessity be supported with wire hoops or stakes and matting well above the foliage, to enable them to ripen properly and quickly. The planting should also be done as firmly as possible, otherwise a superabundance of foliage and not much fruit will be the result. They also require to be kept well supplied with water - should never be allowed to become dry, in fact; while during severe weather they may either be protected with lights, or a mulching of strawy litter. In the spring they may be kept somewhat close, forced, if necessary, where there are pipes round the pits, or be allowed to fruit naturally, so as to have them a few days or weeks before those on warm borders are available. - W. I. M., in Garden.