April 18, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



321 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 



^ HE pm-pose of this communication is not to 

 ^ give an exhaustive treatise ou tlie Straw- 

 berry, bnt ratlier to show the importance of 

 high culture and a close attention to details 

 in the earhest stages of its gi'owth. Owing, 

 probably, to its hardy nature, and the fact 

 that it -noLl generally afford some fruit under 

 the worst management, it has, I think, been 

 subjected to more neglect than almost any 

 other fruit. The dii-ections for its culture 

 generally have been so repeatedly and clearly propounded 

 in the pages of the Jom-nal that it would seem unneces- 

 sary to enter farther upon it ; but when from those who 

 have evidently been stri^-ing for success with some degi-ee 

 of earnestness, there come bad reports of such a fine and 

 robust variety as Dr. Hogg, it is evident that they have 

 failed either to compreliend these directions, or to apjily 

 them rightly. I happen to have had considerable expe- 

 rience in the cultivation of Sti-awbenies in different soils 

 — in a deep rich loam, in a light and very sandy loam, 

 in a poor shallow soil unworthy to be classed as loam, 

 and in heavy clay, and fi'om the good results obtained in 

 each instance I have no hesitation in stating that the 

 poorest soU may be brought into a suitable condition for 

 StrawbeiTy culture. In doing this due attention should 

 first of all be given to making any necessaiy drains to 

 insure the absence of stagnant water, and then the soil 

 should be trenched about "2 feet deep and thorouglily 

 manured. This is done by placing a layer of 6 to 9 inches 

 of rich manvu-e over the surface, and mixing it well with 

 the soil as it is trenched. 



This is done in autumn, and the bed left uncropped till 

 the StrawbeiTies are planted in the following .July ; the 

 weeds in the meantime being kept down, and a fork 

 passed lightly tln-ough the surface as the planting-season 

 approaches. Careful attention should be given to the 

 preparation of the young plants, as success veiy much 

 depends upon this. The first runners are watched for, 

 and laid in rich soil in 3-incli pots, and when the roots 

 reach the sides and bottom of the pots the connection 

 between the old and young plants is severed. Tliis must 

 not be done prematurely, for if the young roots are not 

 well developed the jilants sustain a severe check, which is 

 shown by the drooping foliage and the slowness with 

 which the roots lay hold of the soil of the new bed, into 

 which the whole of the young plants are turned imme- 

 diately. 



This is another cultm-al point worthy of attention — that 

 if the plants, after being separated, are left standuig for a 

 day or two in the clear bright July sun before they are 

 planted, water must be given plentifully. Tliis will not 

 always prevent drooping, but even if it did it would be 

 far more conducive to the progi'ess of the plants to include 

 the separation and planting under one operation. The 

 new bed should be watered regularly, and the surface soU 

 kept well stuTed with a hoe, and then, if aU has gone 

 weU, the vigour of the plants will help to caiTy them 



No. t.77.— Vol. XXII., New Sehies. 



through the vicissitudes of the winter unscathed, and a 

 fair crop of fine fruit may be confidently expected earlier 

 in the following summer than from older plants. 



It wUl thus be seen that, in common with most other 

 successful cultivators of this desirable fruit, I lay much 

 stress upon the fii'st year's cultvu-e, knowing from expe- 

 rience that unless the few simple details given are not 

 closely followed, no after-care will suffice to impart the 

 requisite stamina to plants that have suffered much fi'om 

 neglect or improper culture. There is a difference be- 

 tween growing and cultivating a plant, and which many 

 persons do not appear to understand. The first may be 

 defined as simply bestowing sufficient care upon a jjlant to 

 insure its existence, while it is allowed to gi-ow veiy muclr 

 at random. The second, as implying a constant watoh- 

 fuhiess and care, affording everything in both training 

 and culture that appears beneficial to its nature or is 

 calculated to bring it to as high a state of excellence as 

 possible. Not until this difference is fully recognised can 

 much success be hoped for. — Edw.\ed Luckhurst. 



CULTURE OF CELERIAC. 



This is known by many people as Turnip-rooted Celery, 

 and is, I beheve, gi-own on the Continent to a very great 

 extent for use in the autumn and winter months. In 

 England it is not so much gi-own, in consequence either 

 of the non-appreciation of its merits or the ignorance of 

 its cultm-e. Even if it were grown I am not sm-e that it 

 would gain the approval of everyone who tasted it. I 

 have gi'own it for some years, and latterly have been 

 called upon to give some particulars of its culture. From 

 the natm'e of these inquiries I glean that it is a vegetable 

 as little known as if it had been but recently introduced 

 into tliis country. It has, however, been ciiltivated in 

 this country for many years, and is, I beheve, a British 

 plant, wliich makes it the more sm-prising that it should 

 be so httle known and cultivated. Its cultm'e is of the 

 simplest description, and it requii-es but httle room com- 

 pared to many crops. 



In April and early in May are the times to sow. The 

 seeds for two crops should always be gi'own — the first for 

 autumn use, and the second for winter and spring use. 

 A small quantity of seed sown in a pan or box, -nath the 

 same preparation as for Celery, will do well. The plants 

 should be pricked-out on a border of well-prepared soU, and 

 should be watered veiy carefully from first to last as the 

 state of the weather compels, for this is the principal 

 element of success in the culture of Celeriac. 



This being a Turnip-rooted sort of Celery, no eartlung- 

 up as for other sorts is necessary ; but when the plants 

 are large enough for finaUy planting-out, a piece of ground 

 should be well manured, deeply dug, and levelled, and 

 the plants put at a distance of 1 foot fi'om each other in 

 rows 18 inches apart. The after-treatment simply con- 

 sists in keeping the ground frequently stirred with the 

 hoe, and at times di-awing the earth in sufficient quantity 

 from the root with the hand, so as to be able to pull off 

 all suckers suiTounding the heart of the plant. This 

 process will tend veiy much to mcrease the size of the 



No. 1223.— Vol. XLVII., Old Series 



