340 THE FLORIST. 



the very best Strawberry growers we have, as the frequenters of the 

 London exhibitions will recollect. Bad as the season has been for this 

 fruit, ]\[r. Lydiard's crops were abundant — the fruit magnificent. Well, 

 thought I, how clearly this proves that Strawberry growing, like every- 

 thing else, is advancing. I stood admiring the fine foliage of a bed 

 of Keens' Seedling — that good old Strawberry — when Mr. L. astonished 

 me with a piece of information I little expected. " We shall very soon 

 put the scythe over these," said he. "What! cut off the leaves?" I 

 repUed. " Yes, we always do ; you can't think the good it does them : 

 leaves, blight, insects, and all besides are clean burnt up, and we get a 

 crop of new leaves, w^hich keep fresh and green through the winter, 

 rarely turning brown. That bed," said he, in continuation, "is five 

 years old, and I have others of different kinds six and seven years, 

 which still bear abundantly, and w^hich have been treated the same 

 every year since they were two years old." I confess I felt somewhat 

 foohsh, for I saw that old practices are not ahvays wTong, though 

 running counter to scientific propositions. I therefore venture to put 

 the case in print for the benefit of your readers, as the matter appears 

 to me worth reviving. 



Box, Wilts, July 20. W. H. 



[That leaves which have become brown, and therefore nearly useless, 

 so far as regards secreting nutrition for the embryo buds, are better 

 removed, there can be no doubt ; indeed, we think in all cases, and 

 especially with plants over two years old, removing the old leaves 

 immediately the fruit is gathered is good practice. The young leaves, 

 which are formed immediately, possess much more active powers of 

 assimilation than those removed ; and from the habit of Straw- 

 berries forming young leaves and roots simultaneously, a fresh growth 

 of roots accompanies the new growth ; and as the beds are dressed 

 over at the same time, we see a cause of success in what at first sight 

 appears wrong. There can be no doubt but that the number of years 

 which ]\Ir. Lydiard's beds keep on bearing may be attributed to the 

 vitality infused into his plants through the second crop of leaves, which 

 continue their secreting power long afler the old leaves (if allowed to 

 remain) would have ceased to act. We know ]\Ir. Lydiard w^ell, and 

 a more enthusiastic growler we never met. Ed. Florist.] 



DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF HARLY CONIFERS.— No. XL 



XX. ABIES PINSAPO — THE PINSAPO SILVER FIR. 



This very distinct and beautiful Fir is found on the mountains of Gre- 

 nada in Spain, at an elevation of 4 — 6000 feet, where it forms a Avide- 

 spreading tree 70 feet high. It was introduced to English gardens in 

 1838. 



The Pinsapo Fir in some respects resembles the Cephalonian Fir of 

 Mount Enos ; it has, however, rather larger and more cylindrical leaves, 

 broader at the base than A. cephalonica ; and one great advantage it 

 has over that species is, that it does not commence growing till late in 



