iSyi.] TABLE AND ROOM DECORATION. 109 



evaporation, it retains the moisture twice as long as the soil in tlie 

 pots, and the plants seldom require to be watered more than once in 

 the twenty-four hours, even in the driest w^eather. Black Prince 

 swells off extraordinary crops with us under this treatment. The fruit 

 is not much less in general than good- sized Keen's Seedling ; in fact, 

 we rely upon it for a fill-basket, adding a score or two of Prince of 

 Wales as "toppers," as it swells to a large size. 



Forcing should be commenced at a temperature of 45°, rising gradu- 

 ally to 60^ or 65°, when the plants come into bloom, allowing it at 

 times to run up 10° or 15° by sun heat. Every berry will set, even of 

 the earliest batches, if the flowers are impregnated with a camel's-hair 

 pencil, which well repays the trouble. Unformed berries, so often 

 seen in forced Strawberries, are the result of imperfect fertilisation, 

 and represent so much loss of fruit, sometimes a great deal. Unless 

 every pip is fertilised, the fruit will be deformed more or less, just 

 like a Pine-Apple in which some of the pips have missed setting. 

 We once saw a whole house of Pines, which, in consequence of a 

 check they had received at the blooming period, had missed setting 

 generally about the middle of the fruit. They had an imbecile look 

 about them that was altogether comic ! The later batches of Straw- 

 berries set with less difficulty. An occasional good syringing with 

 clean water during fine weather helps to insure a good "set." We 

 practise this Avith Peaches also, and Muscat Grapes, with the best 

 results. From the time a Straw^berry plant is first potted until the 

 last fruit is pulled it should never be allowed to flag for want of 

 w^ater. J. Simpson. 



WOETLEY. 



TABLE AND EOOM DECORATION. 



Perhaps of all plants for winter decoration, as far as colour is con- 

 cerned, there is not one to be compared with the Poinsettia pulcherrima 

 for effect ; it is a stove weed for facility of management, easily propa- 

 gated from the young wood, easily grown, and easily accommodated 

 when at rest. Plants of it can be had in bloom from 4 inches to 10 

 or 12 feet high. It is a gauky plant, but we like it for its gaukiness ; 

 its habit is a protest of nature against torturing into the dignity of a 

 specimen — that is, what are usually known as specimens. 



We have about nine dozen natural specimens struck about the first and 

 second weeks of August last and onwards, and dozens of them have 

 flowers 16 inches across in pots from 4 to 9 inches diameter, and have 

 been liberally top-dressed with all but raw sheep's manure. For de- 

 coration of large stands they are grand, or with a common white Azalea 



