1871.] STRAWBERRY FORCING. 259 



Keen's Seedling is one of the best forcing varieties we have for our 

 early crops. I generally force from 500 to 600 of that variety, and 

 can fairly say with satisfactory results. Like Mr Cramb, I find it neces- 

 sary to go over the beds yearly and root out all the barren plants, which 

 are easily distinguished by their gross habit and more upright growth. 

 We have a plantation now made from forced plants in 1869, and al- 

 though selected with great care as to weeding out all barren ones, I be- 

 lieve there is a sixth part of them that will not fruit much this season. 

 With these drawbacks, I still am of opinion that in most places it 

 would be unwise to discard an old favourite altogether. About ten days 

 ago we removed from a leaf- pit 140 plants, and out of that number 

 we only had occasion to throw away six or seven as unfit to go to 

 the shelves in our Peach-house, and at this time the same plants are 

 perfect masses of flower, many of them having no less than five trusses 

 of bloom. We have also a shelf of Keen's in a Cucumber-pit, contain- 

 ing about sixty-five plants, from which we picked 2 lb. of fine fruit 

 to-day; and I have no doubt that we shall be able to get 4 lb. more 

 within ten days from this time, many of the plants having from ten to 

 a dozen good-sized fruit on them. 



I find that, if grown in a close moist pit, this variety is apt not to 

 pack well, unless removed for a few days as soon as they are ripe into 

 a cool temperature. Like your correspondent Mr Cramb, I saw the 

 stock of plants that failed with J\lr Simpson, and (with the exception 

 of a batch I once saw in Coombe Abbey, in Warwickshire) they were 

 the finest-looking lot of "Keen's" I ever saw, either before or since ; 

 and on calling at W^ortley again in the spring following, I was much 

 surprised to hear of their turning out so bad. Our other forcing sorts 

 are — Sir Charles Napier, Rifleman, and La Marguerite, which latter, for 

 fine showy fruit, is a first-rate one. Many persons object to Sir Charles 

 as being too acid, but otherwise it answers well with us. I am of 

 opinion that, in places where British Queen does not do well. Rifleman 

 will be a good substitute. We have 100 plants just throwing up their 

 bloom-trusses, and they are looking remarkably strong and free. We 

 have grown a small quantity in previous years which turned out satis- 

 factorily. I may mention that this variety is one of our best outdoor 

 varieties. 



My friend Mr Wildsmith of Heckfield forces a variety called Pre- 

 sident very largely. He told me to-day that he had been picking two 

 dishes per week for the last six weeks — one good trait in its character 

 is its being such a free-setting sort. I had the pleasure of seeing some 

 of his crops last spring, and tbey certainly were very fine. Not being 

 able to command a supply of saucers, we adopt the old plan of laying 

 an inverted turf on the shelves, giving the turf a good soaking with 



