524 THE GARDENER. [Nov. 



here it does not crop well, if the ground be very rich, so that we gener- 

 ally plant on poorer soil and get good crops ; this season it did pretty 

 well, as compared to many other kinds, and the fruit swelled to a fair 

 size. Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury (Garibaldi) is a fair cropper here, 

 though the fruit does not swell to such a size as we have seen it else- 

 where ; we always grow a lot of it to obtain runners for forcing ; this 

 season it was much below the average, even as compared with the other 

 kinds. Belle de Paris : this is an abundant cropper here ; I have never 

 seen it grown anywhere else, at least under this name ; the fruit is 

 not large, is of conical shape, and dark in colour ; it is evidently closely 

 allied to, if not identical with, Black Prince; it is a good variety for 

 the preserving-pan, for which purpose we mean to grow a quantity. 

 James Yeitch gets a great name, and may be worthy of it, but I cannot 

 speak favourably, from my experience of it, as it refuses to grow here 

 at all ; I have tried it for two years, and it has died almost outright. 

 Aromatic is a very nice fruit, of good flavour, but like the last, does 

 not thrive here, and I have never seen it elsewhere. Dr Hogg : this 

 variety has produced some nice fruit, but I cannot regard it as a good 

 cropper here ; this season it has done nothing. Rifleman : this is 

 generally an excellent cropper, but has the fault of not colouring well 

 to the tips of the fruit, which deteriorates from its qualities as a table 

 fruit ; it has done fairly well this season. Duke of Edinburgh : this 

 variety is bound to take a leading position among Strawberries ; its 

 large handsome fruit and good constitution will commend it to most 

 growers; the flavour is not all that could be desired; but it is a 

 heavy cropper, and has done fairly well this season. Dr Livingstone : 

 I cannot speak too highly of this variety ; the fruit is almost as large 

 as "The Duke," but of better flavour, while it has proved the best 

 cropper I have had for the last two years. British Queen is still one of 

 the best-flavoured Strawberries, but it does not thrive very well here, 

 so we do not grow much of it. Elton Pine is indispensable as a late 

 variety ; it is an enormous cropper here, and has been one of the best 

 this season. Sir Joseph Paxton and Sir Charles Napier we have just 

 introduced this season, so I cannot speak decidedly about them ; they 

 promise well however. We still grow a quantity of Grove End Scarlet 

 for preserving ; this season it has grown too much to leaves. Straw- 

 berries are so much like Potatoes in this respect, that it is an advan- 

 tage to have a change of plants occasionally ; and most growers err in 

 planting too closely. Strawberries like plenty of room in which to 

 develop themselves. They should never be planted closer than 30 

 or 33 inches between rows, and 21 inches between plants : this admits 

 of getting them cleaned better, and allows of the air getting more 

 freely about them, as also of getting them bedded when the fruit is on 

 them ; and a much larger crop will result from this than by the old 

 method of close planting, as well as getting the fruit of superior 

 quality. J.G. W. 



