THE FLORAL WOELD AXD GARDEN GUIDE. 



245 



When the berries begin to colour 

 again cease watering overhead, but 

 keep the roots well supplied, give 

 plenty of aii', and the fruit will have 

 a fine flavour. 



This same plan adopted for fruiting 

 a collection of varieties is, we are 

 satisfied, the best for an early crop of 

 any one, two, or three kinds ; if grown 

 for market, it may be well to fill a 

 house or pit at once ; if grown for 

 private use, put in a dozen plants at a 

 time at intervals of a fortnight, begin- 

 ning the first week in December, and 

 continuing till the last batch is 

 housed. A capital way of using up 

 the spare spaces next the gutters on 

 the borders of a Paxtonian orchard- 

 house is to spread a layer of dung, 

 and put in a lot of potted strawberries. 

 Every possessor of an orchard-house 

 should grow strawberries in pots, as, 

 being plants of humble growth, the 

 crop may be secured without inter- 

 fering, or but slightly so, with the 

 space devoted to the trees ; but the 

 space usually left vacant near the 

 bottom of the lights is the best, be- 

 cause there they are very near the 

 glass. Old frames answer admirably, 

 and probably a fortnight might be 

 gained in advance of out-door crops 

 by using calico, or " scrim," instead of 

 glass, stretched on laths over old 

 boxes or brick pits ; but the last hint 

 is given at guesswork, and not by 

 knowledge, for we never ti-ied it. 



Where the runners have been 

 allowed to root as they please, and no 

 pains have been taken to secure an 

 early supply of young plants, the 

 system of shifting on is, perhaps, pre- 

 ferable to the "one shift" system 

 which we follow. We have only to 

 say respecting this that large shifts 

 are preferable to small ones, and that 

 the plants will ultimiitely do much 

 better if the stuff is well crammed 

 into the pots than if merely pressed 

 in with tlie fingers. At this time of 

 year strawberries will be found in 

 many gardens in 60-sized pots, 

 which they have now filled with roots. 



If these are to be fruited in pots, they 

 should have a shift at once to six- 

 inch pots, and be set in a sunny place 

 till required for forcing; but they will 

 never make such a crop as plants that 

 were got into fruiting pots in July or 

 early in August. 



We shall return to this subject 

 next month in order to treat upon 

 forcing, about which cultivators are 

 not at present anxious. As many of 

 our readers have not yet procured 

 their stock for potting and planting, 

 it may be well to remind them that a 

 very complete descriptive list of 

 strawberries, by Madame Vilmorin, 

 will be found at page 31 of the third 

 volume of the Flokal Woeld, 

 which may be referred to with ad- 

 vantage until we can submit a fresh 

 list, brought up to the present time. 

 The best of the many new straw- 

 berries is one which has been fruited 

 for the first time this season by Mr. 

 Webb, of Calcot Gardens, Heading. 

 This variety is called " liefresher." 

 Some of the berries sent to us weighed 

 two ounces each, the shape globose, 

 the colour deep crimson, the fiesh 

 dull crimson throughout, and remark- 

 ably rich, juicy, sweet, and with a 

 delicious aroma. For general pur- 

 poses there is still nothing to surpass 

 British Queen, and that should be 

 secured first, and take the lead where- 

 ever it thrives ; and it does not suc- 

 ceed in some soils that suit other 

 strawberries. A few other varieties 

 of sterling usefulness, and pretty cer- 

 tain to crop well wherever there is a 

 fair chance of a strawberry of any 

 kind prospering, are the following : — 

 Black Prince, early; Keen's seedling, 

 early; La Constate, mid-season, su- 

 perb in every respect; iiivers' Eli^a, 

 mid-season, very fine; Sir Harry, 

 late, as it is not fit to eat till nearly 

 black with ripeness ; Magnuj^ Bouum, 

 late, and should be tried where 

 British Queen does not answer ; 

 Compte de Paris, one of the best for 

 preserving. 



S. S. 



