iSyi.] STRAWBERRY FORCING. 107 



STRAWBEKRY FORCING. 



A WOED about varieties in the first place. Up till six years ago we 

 imagined Keen's Seedling could not be surpassed for forcing pur- 

 poses. At that time our experience was confined principally to Mid- 

 lothian. Since then it has lain in Yorkshire, and Keen's Seedling 

 has proved to be truly the very worst kind we have tried, either for 

 forcing or outdoor cropping. In 1865 we propagated 1000 plants 

 of Keens for forcing from the stock we found here. They were 

 prepared early, and made splendid plants, with crowns like one's 

 thumb, broad massive leaves, and the pots almost bursting with roots. 

 We anticipated nothing less than an extraordinary crop, but not more 

 than thirty or forty plants showed flower, though forced gently under 

 advantageous circumstances. It was such a disappointment as we 

 should not like to experience again. Thinking that the stock from 

 which they were derived was probably run out, we bought an entirely 

 new lot of Keen's Seedling from a trustworthy source — Prince of 

 Wales, Black Prince, Sir Harry, and other kinds, — planted them early 

 in spring, and propagated plants from them for that season's forcing, 

 being careful to have four or five varieties, including 200 Keens. 

 The result was exactly the same. Out of the above number about 

 a dozen fruited ; but the crops from Prince of Wales and Black Prince 

 were all that could be desired. Since then we have stuck to these 

 two sorts principally, and we have found no others that we have 

 experimented with to approach them for sure bearing ; not one in a 

 hundred misses. We tried Keens under diff'erent conditions outdoors 

 for three seasons, with no better results ; and so we discarded it alto- 

 gether, as we afterwards found others in this neighbourhood had done 

 for the same reasons. Under these circumstances, we cannot advise 

 any one on this point, but will leave them to be guided by their own 

 experience, or the experience of others in the district in which they 

 are located. 



Earliness is everything in preparing Strawberries for forcing ; and 

 for this reason we layer our plants the moment we can get hold of the 

 point beyond the first runner. Layering the runners in small pots, 

 according to the common practice, is perfectly needless. Indeed, we 

 are inclined to think it is a bad plan ; at all events, it is a waste of 

 time and material to no purpose whatever. We therefore just lay a 

 flat ridge of sharp light soil between the Strawberry rows, and layer 

 the runners on this, and water them frequently in dry weather, which 

 causes them to root and grow quickly, and gives fine plants at potting- 

 time, that soon fill the pots with roots. When ready for potting, they 

 are taken up with a trowel. They come away with nice balls, and 



