HORTICULTUEE 



July 6, 1912 



FRUIT AND VEGETABLES UNDER GLASS 



CONDDCTED BY 



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Questions by our readers in line with any of the topics jiresented on this page will be cordially received and prc.mptly answered 

 by Mr. Penson. Such communications should invariably be addressed to the office of HOETICULTORE. 



Layering Strawberries. 



Strawberries for forcing next winter should be layered 

 without delay. Let preceding years designate the varie- 

 ties to be used — that is the main crops. Trials should 

 be made on any promising new varieties which may have 

 come under notice, but do not rely on these new ones, as 

 they are liable to turn out useless for forcing. After de- 

 termining how many plants are needed add fifteen per 

 cent, to cover any which may not root. Have the re- 

 quired number of three-inch pots ready and sufficient 

 soil to fill them put through the half-inch sieve. By 

 pressing this point of having sufficient material ready at 

 the first time of asking much time is saved than by mak- 

 ing "two bites at a cherry" as the saying is. When mak- 

 ing the two or three attempts men are covering ground 

 these two or three times when once should be sufficient. 

 This is applicable to many jobs. I would rather any time 

 see a small amount of soil left over after potting up a 

 batch of stuff than to have that same amount to mix. 

 In addition to the extra labor entailed it is doubtful if 

 the two lots of soil contain exactly the same ingredients 

 — that is, where a proper mixture is called for. In this 

 case any good soil will do to layer into. Where any 

 quantity of strawberry layers are required annually it is 

 a good practice to put in young stock each year; take off 

 the flowers to prevent them from fruiting the first sea- 

 son which will give you the strongest layers from which 

 to select young runners. If this was not done the best 

 must be selected from those which fruited this summer. 

 The best method of procedure is to clean the stock plants 

 first, remove all weeds, bad leaves, etc., also any runners 

 which are too old for the purpose. The remaining should 

 be drawn to one side of the plant so that the small pots 

 can be placed close together to prevent rapidly drying 

 out and in addition to this the outside rows should have 

 either the straw mulching of the bed or some soil drawn 

 up around them or you will experience a difficulty iu 

 keeping them evenly moist with those on the inside of the 

 group. Layering itself is easy after all the preparatory 

 work is through. Place the pots in position, select the 

 layer for each one, remove any more plants which may 

 be on the same wire, see that the wire (or rhizome) will 

 reach the bottom of the pot, leaving the crown of the 

 young plant level with the surface of the soil. As the 

 soil is filled in on top of the wire, this will keep it in 

 position. See that the pots are level, to retain the water, 

 and they must be kept evenly moist until the plants are 

 rooted, when they can be cut away and transferred to 



some convenient spot having an ash bottom and being 

 near a faucet. As soon as they fill Out the threes nicely 

 with roots shift them into sixes. 



Propping Apples and Pears. 



To get the maximum amount of color and finish into 

 apples and pears grown in pots it will be well to prop 

 them up to get all the sun, light and air possible. Ap- 

 ples are done by means of moderately stiff wire bent so 

 as to form a receptacle or prop for each fruit, the ring 

 or cup at the top being at right angles to the support or 

 handle. This handle can be made in different lengths 

 to suit various positions on the trees. The cup is the 

 only part of the support which comes in contact with 

 the fruit and this should be covered over with cotton 

 wool to prevent the fruits from bruising. Two or three 

 strong stakes are usually required to bring the tree into 

 shape and bring all the fruits as near as possible on to 

 one side of the tree, thus giving all the sun at the same 

 time. When this is done the props are worked up under 

 the fruits; being made of practically flexible wire they 

 will bend to any required position and once made fast 

 will remain so. By carefully turning the fruits a little 

 every few days they will soon become the very richest 

 color the variety is capable of producing. Pears are a 

 little different. Being of different shape and more 

 easier bruised the trees can only be staked out and the 

 fruits tied on so that they can remain on the trees until 

 perfectly ripe, without danger of falling. The idea of 

 tying the fruits on may seem strange, but the stalk on 

 the pear is long enough and gives itself to receiving a 

 piece of raffia. Many good pears have been saved tliis 

 way. The writer has often thought it is too bad peaches 

 and nectarines could not be treated similarly, as we con- 

 tinually find a few push themselves off when swelling 

 fast. 



Order New Trees. 



This is not a week too early to place orders for new 

 trees to be delivered in the fall, which is the only satis- 

 factory time to receive trees for pot work or early 

 forcing. All business firms make a practice to fill orders 

 as received, consequently the "early bird catches the 

 worm." You are surer of getting exactly what you want 

 and the best of it. When ordering be sure to designate 

 the shape required and state for pot work or otherwise. 

 Pi-evious issues of HORTICULTUEE have contained 

 lists of varieties of the different subjects cultivated xm- 

 der glass which have proved satisfactory for forcing in 

 America. Any of these will be readily inserted again 

 to assist any reader in making a selection. 



