242 



THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



quence connected witli the subject, 

 relates to the proper supply of water. 

 This, as part of the stimulative system 

 adopted in forcing, should be subject 

 to the same rules which regulate the 

 supply of heat. It should be given 

 in the same limited manner at first, 

 and increased witli the increase of 

 temperature resulting in a full supply 

 every day at the period of blooming. 

 It is only necessary to add that a 



considerable diminution of both heat 

 and moisture will be required imme- 

 diately after the expansion of the 

 flowers, in order to prolong their 

 existence and preserve their bril- 

 liancy. This is easily effected by the 

 usual plan of removing them to a 

 cooler place, where their loveliness 

 will be more enjoyable tlian in the 

 close humid atmosphere of a forcing- 

 house. Ed. 



PEUIT CULTIJRB.— THE STRIWBERRT. 



In the paper on Strawberry culture 

 published in the April number of 

 the Flokal World, we enumerated 

 all the important points connected 

 ■with the routine cultui'e of out-door 

 crops, and promising further notes on 

 forcing, the selection of varieties, 

 etc., we now redeein that promise, 

 and for convenience of reference 

 group the several departments of 

 the subject requiring to be treated 

 under separate heads. 



Strawbeekies in Pots. — Straw- 

 berries are grown in pots with great 

 success by many cultivators who 

 have no means for forcing them, as 

 the term forcing is generally under- 

 stood. The advantages of pot culture 

 are that a crop can be secured con- 

 siderably earlier than in the open 

 ground, by the help of a common 

 frame, or in a peach-house or un- 

 heated orchard-house, or, in fact, by 

 the help of glass of any kind, how- 

 ever inelegant, provided it affords 

 some shelter, and admits an abun- 

 dance of light and air. We will first 

 describe a method we have ourselves 

 pursued, for the purpose of proving 

 and comparing a number of distinct 

 varieties when we have had no room 

 to make plantations of them. We 

 secured well-rooted runners, which 

 had been pegged down in small pots 

 early in the season ; and, as soon as 

 the pots were filled with roots, the 

 runners were separated from the 

 parent plants, and at once put into 

 fruiting pots. As we know of but one 

 way to pot strawberries, we will de- 

 scribe it here once for all; so that, 

 ■whenever potting is referred to, it 



may be understood that we do not 

 mean shifting on to larger and larger 

 sizes, but jdacing them as soon as 

 they are fairly rooted in the pots in 

 which they are to fruit. For all 

 ordinary purposes sis-inch pots are 

 large enough, but in some cases nine- 

 inch pots may be used, in order to 

 secure a late crop of large berries, as 

 those in the large pots will not fruit so 

 early as the others. The stuff for 

 potting should consist of one-third 

 rotten dung, and the other two- 

 thirds stiff loam, with plent}^ of fibre 

 in it. Whatever the soil of the place, 

 the cultivator must endeavour to pre- 

 pare a mixture as nearly as possible 

 answering this general description. 

 In sandy or chalky districts, the 

 clearings of ponds and ditches, turf 

 from roadsides, and other similarly 

 nourishing and tenacious materials, 

 may generally be had, and in clay 

 countries turf and dung will mellow 

 the staple ; and, if need be, a sixth 

 part of broken brick, or charcoal, or 

 grit from the sifted sweepings of 

 gravel walks, may be added to pre- 

 vent the soil in the pots from be- 

 coming a cement, for before we have 

 done with it we intend to have it well 

 hammered. We have had so much 

 to do with tenacious clays that we 

 never fail to use as much as we dare in 

 all composts, and in potting straw- 

 berries we usually make the compost 

 thus : — One part rotten dung from a 

 cucumber or melon pit, in which the 

 crop has been completed. This is 

 generally in a buttery state, and the 

 fibre completely broken down. One 

 part rotted turf, which has in the 



