314 THE GARDENER. [Aug. 



dendrons, and the early-flowering buds are already formed on the now 

 indispensable Hoteia japoniea. It is the sun who is now busy storing 

 up our future early crop of Grapes and Peaches, provided the gardener 

 is doing his part of the work. Now is the time when the forcer must 

 have his wits about him to withhold, assist, and prepare. 



The use of the smallest-sized pots in reason for all subjects to be 

 forced in them, is one of the most efficient helps to the proper pre- 

 paration of forcing plants which the gardener can practise. A small 

 pot helps the sun to mature the plant, by confining the roots and pre- 

 veiiting its being over-fed at the same time. If the gardener does his 

 part, the plant will not be starved into ripeness. This applies to Pines, 

 Vines, Stawberries, Roses, or indeed anything to be early forced. 



We believe that a better crop of Strawberries can, with more cer- 

 taint}', be forced out of plants in 4-inch pots than from plants in pots 

 double the size. A highly-fed plant with a large crown, although it looks 

 well in the autumn and winter, generally turns out very prolific of 

 leaves and blind blossoms. But a hard rather stunted-looking plant in 

 a small pot, with scanty crown to the eye, shoots up its flower-spikes 

 with, at first, a seeming scarcity of leaves, but are sure to set, and 

 leaves are sure to follow sufficient to mature the fruit. Then is 

 the time to stimulate and feed the plant, which, in turn, feeds its 

 ofispring. 



The best finished Grapes in pot- Vines we remember having seen, 

 in size, colour, and quantity — Vines of one year — were grown in 

 10-inch pots, and stood in large plats of rotten manure, and fed also 

 with liquid. Those Vines were well grown and early ripened in span- 

 roofed pits the previous summer. 



We believe that most gardeners will agree that small pots are the 

 most desirable in which to force all sorts of fruits and flowers ; as 

 success does not depend on the size of the pot alone, but on the 

 ripening influence of the sun on a plant — not gorged with rich feeding, 

 as if green leaves were the object. As a seeming contradiction to this, 

 we are also prepared to recommend the use of small pots for the forc- 

 ing of French Beans and Potatoes in winter and early spring. Pots 

 are better than the open-bed system for the former in mid-winter ; 

 and small pots of 8 or 6 inches, and even less, are better than 10 or 

 1 2 inch pots, for the same amount of produce can be obtained from 

 the smaller size as from the larger. A large quantity of inert soil is 

 an evil in mid-winter. Better to have the pots well filled with roots, 

 and feed by standing the pots in plats. 



With regard to the forcing of Potatoes, we have proved that a 

 better crop can be grown in small pots of 4 and 5 inches than in large 

 pots of 10 or 12 inches. A single good set planted in a small pot in 



