108 THE GARDENER. [March 



take to their sliift just as readily as if they had been transferred from 

 small pots, for we have tried them both ways, and side by side. Many 

 err in using too largo pots for Strawberries. They should never be 

 less than -ii-inch size, nor larger than 6-inch, according to the variety. 

 In potting, the soil should be made very firm about the plants, and 

 particularly under them, which will prevent the roots from congre- 

 gating chiefly among the crocks at the bottom of the pot. 



The fruiting-time is the most interesting, and also the most import- 

 ant, stage in the culture of Strawberries in pots. A fine crop of fruit 

 in March and April, and onwards, is an object worthy of any gar- 

 dener's ambition, and covers other deficiencies. Some gardeners lay 

 great stress upon having Strawberries very early — say in January or 

 February — and will sacrifice both plants and crop to accomplish such 

 a feat ; but barring the fact that they are ^Strawberries, such early fruit 

 are the most insipid morsels any one can eat, and require a powerful 

 efi'ort of the imagination, and a considerable quantity of sugar, to realise 

 that you are eating Strawberries at all. 



People must of course be guided by circumstances ; but, as a general 

 rule, it will be found more satisfactory, where Strawberries are forced 

 in quantity, to bear two things in mind : the first is, never to send 

 Strawberries to table till they are fit to eat ; the second, never to send 

 them till you can follow up with your reserves at least two or three 

 times a-week, and as soon as possible every day. With these two 

 ideas before us, we never attempt having ripe fruit till after the 

 middle of March ; and to insure a good and continuous pulling, we 

 always introduce 300 plants into heat at a time. If they come in too 

 fast, they can easily be kept back in a cool house, and with great 

 advantage to the fruit. The practice of placing saucers under the 

 pots to hold water is not to be commended. The water will stand in 

 the saucers, and the Strawberry, not being an aquatic, will sufi'er ; the 

 roots rot, the soil in the pots gets sour and sodden, and complete 

 failure is the result. To avoid these evils, we get our saucers made to 

 order, with a small hole in the bottom of each like a flower-pot. 

 When we are about to introduce a lot of plants into heat, we first get 

 the required number of saucers, lay a small crock over the hole in 

 the bottom of each, fill them level full of good loam, set them upon 

 the shelves in the Strawberry-house as close together as they will sit, 

 and set the pots upon them. Even before the flower-scapes are up 

 the roots will have taken possession of the soil to such an extent 

 through the bottom of the pot, that the saucers will cling to them 

 when the pots are lifted up. Any one may guess what a marvellous 

 effect the fresh supply of soil has upon the berries and general health 

 of the plants. As very little of the soil in the saucers is exposed to 



