40 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



pots, and tlien pot tliem separately. . It has never lived through a 

 severe winter in any case to my knowledge, and I have a fine one 

 now left out from last season, which I expect will be dead when spring 

 comes, though while writing this (January 15) I have examined it, 

 and the crown appears to be fresh and unhurt. 



Woodward lA oeientalis. — This is of smaller growth than the 

 last, but very much like it in general appearance. The young fronds 

 are of a bright cinnamon colour, and the young plants are produced 

 in scale-like tufts on the upper surface of the fronds. It is rather 

 less hardy than radicans, and is more in need of shade and shelter. 



As this list includes a few that in some districts it may be a diffi- 

 culty to procure, I shall advise any of our readers who cannot obtain 

 them of their own nurserymen, to apply to Mr. E. Sim, of the 

 Nurseiies, Toots Cray, Kent, S.E., who can meet their requirements 

 without difficulty, even if they want to buy ferns by thousands. 



Shielet Hibbeed. 



CULTIYATION or BEITISH QUEEJSr STEAWBEERY. 



BY J. CALTEET CLAEKE. 



T may not be generally known that bean-chaiF is a very 

 useful material to the cultivator of stiff soils, especially 

 for the growing of the British Queen strawberry. But 

 for the benefit of the reader I will tell him how it came 

 under my notice, and how I was led to believe in its 

 virtue. I was then (eight years ago) working upon one of those 

 badly-drained, cold, and clayey soils so plentiful in some places on 

 the south coast, and where every attempt to grow the British Queen 

 strawberry had failed. This was a fact made known to me by my 

 then new employer, accompanied with a wish that were it in my power 

 I was to devise some means to secure the well-doing of this favourite 

 variety. Every plan that had been adopted was carefully detailed 

 to me by the proprietor ; and he added, " I had given up in despair 

 till a few days since, when a trifling circumstance revived again my 

 hopes. Come with me," says my employer, " and I will show you 

 what I think you will value as a dressing for strawberries, if not for 

 the production of this desired variety." A walk of a few minutes 

 brought us to the back of some farm buildings, where had been, 

 through near eighteen months, the refuse of two large stacks of 

 beans, or in other words the chaff from the winnowing machine. 

 It had been put into a heap on this spot with the intention of re- 

 moving it at some convenient time ; but still it remained there. 

 Kow it so happened that all the refuse and trimmings from the 

 garden were taken to another spot close by, and from these trim- 

 mings one of the farm labourers selected a few runners of straw- 

 berries, and laid them by the heels in this chaft^ with the intention, 

 I suppose, of carrying them home to his own garden; but this he 



