1 87 I.J STRAWBERRY FORCING. 155 



gardens at Went worth, we saw the Strawberry plants to which Mr 

 Simpson refers, and it was our united opinion that they were the finest 

 we had ever seen. No one, however keen-sighted, could ever have 

 anticipated so fatal a result. Once I found myself in the same posi- 

 tion, and can sympathise with Mr Simpson ; but my mishap did not 

 occur from any defect in the forcing property of Keen's Seedling, but 

 owing entirely to a different cause, which I strongly suspect lay at the 

 bottom of Mr Simpson's failure. When I came to Tortworth, more 

 than eighteen years ago, our plantation of this kind was to all 

 appearance true to name, and I believed there were few rogues among 

 them. The summer crop was a light one — certainly not more than a 

 fourth part showed flower — of which I took but little notice, acting on 

 the supposition that the deficiency might be caused by improper treat- 

 ment. Indeed there are seasons, as most of us know, when our very 

 best varieties fail less or more. From these our pot-plants were propa- 

 gated, the runners were earlier and stronger than usual, and at the end 

 of the growing season the crowns were thoroughly matured, and, as in 

 Mr Simpson's case, the pots were well filled Avith roots. But what was 

 the result? Not ten plants in a hundred showed a flower- truss, and 

 any that appeared w^ere weak and worthless. 



The succeeding year I made a complete change. I purchased a pure 

 stock, and ever since I have had no difficulty in forcing Keen's Seedling. 

 Our first gathering is usually during the last week in March or the first 

 in April. It would be absurd, I think — an interference with the laws of 

 vegetable life — to affirm that species are inconstant in character ; but 

 the same cannot be said of mere varieties, as in process of time, unless 

 renewed by propagation, they degenerate, and become absolutely 

 barren, or nearly so. By age the constitution becomes feeble, vitality 

 sinks, and cultivation, however skilfully managed, fails to effect a 

 remedy. I do not know why, but it is nevertheless true, that none of 

 our garden fruits are so guilty of running off from the original as the 

 Strawberry. Propagation from unfruitful plants was the sole cause of 

 my misadventure, and Ithink it highly probable thatMr Simpson's defeat 

 originated from the same source. To prevent the repetition of such an 

 occurrence, I have yearly, while the Strawberries are in flower, all the 

 unfruitful plants removed, which enables me to depend upon the sound 

 state of my pot-plants. The heaviest crop and the finest berries I 

 ever grew were from runners of the preceding autumn, planted during 

 April in a quarter of the kitchen-garden, lifted during the first week 

 in August with moderately-sized balls, and potted into 7-inch pots. 

 However satisfactory such a plan may be, it requires too much labour — 

 more than most of us can spare, where thousands of plants have to be 

 prepared yearly. 



