1S73. ] STRAWBERRT-CULTUEE UNDER GLASS. 105 



about tliree hundred berries on plants in 7-incli pots, the plants not being over 

 two feet high and eighteen inches through. Some plant them out altogether, but 

 when they are plunged there is no check from lifting them in the autumn. — A. H., 

 Tlioreshy. 



STRAWBERRY-CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



^AST month I paid a visit to the Fruit Garden of Mr. John Westcott, at 

 Topsham, who has for some years been noted for his great success in 

 Strawberry-culture under glass. Certainly, taking it in all its bearings, his 

 far surpasses all the StrawbeiTy-culture I had previously seen. Mr. West- 

 cott's glass erections devoted to this purpose are long, narrow, low houses and 

 pits heated with hot-water pipes, and these are filled with rows of strawberries on 

 shelves and curbs from end to end. Asparagus is forced in the narrow pit under 

 the front wall. 



This success in early Strawberry-culture no doubt depends much on strict per- 

 sonal attention throughout the season, so as to study and assist nature ; but the 

 main points seem to be — (1) The selection of the plants, and potting them early, 

 so as to get them strong and sturdy by early autumn. The plants are never 

 rank-growing, with large foliage, and long leaf -stalks ; but they are smallish 

 stubby plants, with small foliage, and very short leaf-stalks. (2) The avoiding 

 of over-potting. The thousands of plants grown by Mr. Westcott are in what we 

 used to call 48's and small 32's, measuring from 4 in. to 5^ in. both in height 

 and diameter. (3) The plants are taken care of through the rains of autumn 

 and in dull foggy weather, and are not allowed to be washed and soddened into a 

 root-decaying condition by winter ; but they are sturdy little short-foliaged plants, 

 with their central bud and heart prominent, and as large as the end of a black- 

 bird's or pigeon's &gg. (4) When put to work they are at first treated with 

 considerable patience, being allowed plenty of time, so as to induce the buds or 

 crowns to burst out vigorously into numerous bunches of blossom-buds, each pot 

 being like a nosegay thrust upright about the foliage, they are brought into blossom 

 so evenly. (5) Each batch is fertilised with great care, so that the fruit start 

 into growth together, and this ensures a fruit swelling away from every blos- 

 som ; the flooi', indeed, becomes covered with the cast-off blossoms, like to a 

 cherry orchard after a fine sunny breezy day late in April. 



After the flowers are thus fertilised, and set, there is no loss of time, but (G) 

 they are feasted and fed, so that the fruits swell off in the most marvellous way, and 

 hang down all round the pots in the most tempting profusion. But little thinning, 

 tying, propping, or staking takes place, since all are assisted to swell off, and soon 

 become fit for the market, a point which Mr. Westcott is well up in (as he is in 

 the swelling of such an immense heavy crop of large, finely-coloured, finely- 

 flavoured, firm fruit), so that there is no difficulty in packing and conveying them 

 to the London, Bath, Taunton, Exeter, and other markets. 



The varieties which Mr. Westcott is forcing this season are Excelsior, and 



