Forcing Strawberries in Pots 



By Chas. 

 Contrary to other fruits, such as grapes, peaches, 

 etc., strawberries can be forced with success in ahiiost 

 any kind of a greenhouse. Even frames can be used 

 to advantage for late forcing if heated. Most of the 

 success depends on the way the individual plants are 

 treated and cultivated when small, the right soil and 

 careful treatment during the forcing period. 



The choice of varieties is a very important matter 

 and as I have not yet been fortunate enough to have 

 charge of a place in this land big enough to force fruit 

 under glass I can speak only from my European ex- 

 perience, and of European varieties. 



The best early varieties to my knowledge are : Lax- 

 ton Noble, Deutsch Evern and Garteninspector Koch. 

 For later forcing I know no better varieties than Royal 

 Sovereign and King Albert. 



In order to get strong and healthy forcing plants it 

 is necessary to start the latter half of July. I use two- 

 inch pots filled with good soil (humus), a little sand 

 and loam and bury them near the mother plants. 

 Take two or three runners, according to strength of 

 plant and lead them to the pots where they are secured 

 by means of a bent wire. If the soil in the pots is kept 

 damp, the little plants will have developed a good root 

 system in two to three weeks, after which they are cut 

 off from the mother plant and put into an empty cold 

 frame or a bed prepared for that purpose, where they 

 can stay for two more weeks. As soon as the plants 

 show signs of getting potbound it is time for trans- 

 planting. 



The right soil is now an essential thing as the plants 

 are not shifted again. I prefer the soil of a spent old 

 hot bed and add to it a little well rotted cow manure, 

 good compost soil, a little loam, sand, and fine bone- 

 meal and mix that well together. Six-inch pots are 

 plenty big enough and I always use a stick when trans- 

 planting in order to make sure the soil is firm between 

 pot and plant. The plants are then put on a sunny 

 place and watered, but later only those plants are 

 watered which seem to be dry. Once a week an appli- 

 cation of liquid cow manure is given and the soil on 

 top kept loose. If through continued rain the plants 

 are getting too wet the pots must be laid down. En- 

 courage the growth as much as possible till the middle 

 of September with the earliest patch and till the middle 

 of October with the later ones. The earliest varieties 

 ought to come to rest first, which we can accomplish by 

 gradually withdrawing the water, no more liquid manure, 

 and by laying down the pots. The laying down of the 

 pots has furthermore the advantage that the fall rains 

 cannot overwet them and it also is a protection against 

 snow. A little frost does no harm. On the contrary 

 it does the plants good, but when it gets too cold the 

 pots must be protected with leaves. 



The earliest patch can be started the middle of 

 November. Before bringing the plants inside they 

 ought to be cleaned, all dead leaves cut off, not pulled 

 off. The soil on top of the plants can be taken off with- 

 out disturbing the roots and renewed with new soil to 

 which a little quick acting fertilizer and well rotted 

 cow manure is added and well pressed down. 



Strawberries as a rule are forced on shelves and as 

 near the glass as possible. Movable shelves running on 

 big castors and rails arc much preferable to stationary 

 ones, as during the night they can be pushed back and 

 do not suffer so much through a sudden fall of tem- 

 perature. Also the matter of watering and pollenizing 



M. Schrall. 



is considerably made easier by movable shelves. Care- 

 ful watering is very important and I always used to 

 test the pots with the knuckle of my finger to find out 

 if they really are dry. Never water in the late after- 

 noon or on a dull day and no water is to touch the 

 flowers as wet flowers produce misshaped fruit. The 

 pots must never be crowded and a distance of 6 inches 

 is advisable. Also once having placed the pots on the 

 shelves do not turn or shift them around any more. 



The temperature at the beginning is from 43 degs. 

 to 46 degs., and is slowly raised so that when the plants 

 start to flower the temperature will be 55 degs. to 58 

 degs. During the flowering period the temperature is 

 raised to 60 degs. and kept at that till the berries start 

 to show color. 



Both heat and plenty of air are essential for a per- 

 fect pollenizing of the flowers. Give air whenever 

 possible. The flowers are pollenized by means of a 

 fine camel-hair brush and only on bright days and then 

 only during mid-day hours. The sides and bottom of 

 the house are kept damp except during the flowering 

 and fruiting periods. During the forcing period and 

 when the fruit is set weak liquid manure is given. As 

 soon as the fruit starts to swell, all small berries are 

 cut off and only the best are left. I consider 12 to 15 

 perfect berries plenty for one plant, even 10 is a good 

 result. 



The fruit stems are carefully tied up on small sticks 

 or especially for the purpose made wire rings w-hich 

 can be bought in seed stores (I think), so that the 

 berries are hanging free. 



Forced plants can be further cultivated if kept dry 

 for a while and later planted in a good manured bed 

 outside. They w-ill soon start to show signs of new 

 life again and under favorable circumstances will give 

 a second crop of pretty good berries in September or 

 October. I advise only one year old plants for forcing. 



AUTUMN. 



O ! Have ye seen Rogue Autumn ? 



He's hiding hereabout 

 To rob me of my green domain 



And put my birds to route. 

 He's marshaling his army ; 



The skirmishers are out. 

 "All's well ! All's well !" the katydids. 



His nightlv pickets, shout. 



Rogue Autumn, bold pretender. 



Conspiring with the sun, 

 Is working in the morning mists 



That I may be undone. 

 Already through my fields and woods 



The fires of treason run : 

 My myriad leaves are putting on 



His colors, one by one. 



Thy breath at night. Rogue Autmn, 



Strikes chill upon my brow ; 

 My crown uneasy rests upon 



The head I soon must bow. 

 Take thou thy spoil ! But there will come 



A mightier than thou. 

 Whose wind shall pierce and break thv heart, 



.^s mine is breaking now ! 



— Selected. 



