1879.] FRUIT CULTURE. 413 



would ruin it in a week. I am of course writing of superior cultiva- 

 tion in pots, which does not by any means embrace the common run of 

 everyday practice, where people are thankful for a few mediocre fruits, 

 and write about them with as much apparent sincerity as if they were 

 of first-rate quality and finish. 



I have now to pass on to the most amusing part of our subject, 

 where J. S. W. says I have nothing to show for the practice I advo- 

 cate. Well, perhaps not, but we will see by-and-by. Your corre- 

 spondent says he has seen our best effort in Strawberry forcing, and 

 while admitting that it was good, still it was no better than our 

 neighbours', and certainly not so fine as many examples he has seen 

 by other growers. This piece of information evidently refers to the 

 fruit exhibited last year at Leeds, and I have no reason to complain 

 of my success at Leeds. I had two dishes of Strawberries there, 

 one of which, " a seedling," was " highly commended " by the judges, 

 of whom one, upon his own account, is an authority on Straw- 

 berries. 



I intend sending this seedling out by-and-by, and I hope J. S. W. 

 will be pleased to accept a few runners as a memento of my visit to 

 Leeds. The " curious " part of the business is, however, that my first- 

 prize dish was Sir Charles Napier — by the way a " third-rate kind " — 

 and J. S. W. was one of the judges. Now, according to J. S. W., the 

 variety in the first place is a " third-rate kind," and in the next it is 

 said to be " not so good " as other examples, and yet it is good enough 

 to win the first prize by the very person who seeks to condemn it. 



The winning dish was set side by side with British Queen, Presi- 

 dent, Sir Joseph Paxton, and Vicomtesse de Thury ; and a few weeks 

 previously I gained first prize for the same variety at Manchester 

 in company with four different kinds, including President and Vicom- 

 tesse de Thury, — so it is evident that Sir Charles Napier is not such 

 a bad thing, when well done, after all. I may also add, that Sir 

 Charles was grown by special request of my late employer, for most 

 of the principal parties during the London season, which, I suppose, 

 may be taken as a little additional proof of its merit as a dessert fruit. 



All the forced Strawberries at Otterspool were grown as if for 

 exhibition during my time, but whether upon this solitary occasion 

 J. S. W. saw our best effort is not for me to say — only my experience 

 was, that the very hot weather of 1878 in the month of June was 

 very trying, and was not the most favourable time for Strawberry 

 forcing. 



With respect to my mode of taking runners, I find J. S. W. has 

 mixed things up in a bewildering fashion, and I will therefore detail 

 my own practice in a few brief words, and give my reasons at the 

 same time. I suppose it will be admitted that no labour is lost 

 that tends to high cultivation in any department of horticulture ; and 

 if this be so, the object of taking runners for forcing from young plants 



