Febraory £0, 1S73. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



161 



Society like the Royal Horticultural, than the way in which 

 the Council were nominated ; and what renders the system 

 doubly objectionable is that the bye-laws under which this 

 system is practised were specially framed in opposition to the 

 spirit of the charter, no lonRer than eleven years ago. It is 

 a significant fact that this re-vision of the bye-laws, and the 

 introduction of the objectionable clauses were adopted imme- 

 diately upon the accession of Mr. Henry Cole, C.B., to the 

 Council ; a gentleman to whom rumour properly or improperly 

 attributes the whole of the unwarrantable interference with 

 the free action of the Society, of which the Royal Commis- 

 sioners have to bear the stigma. 



We cannot but regret, in the resignation of the Council, 

 parting with the names and presence of many men who are 

 endeared to the memory of all true friends of the Horticultural 

 Society, names historically associated with it and with horti- 

 culture. We could have wished that the tide of affairs had 

 taken a different turn, and to hare seen those names still pre- 

 served among us ; but the late Council has only reaped that 

 which it has unconsciously sown. We part from them with 

 many regrets ; and with none of them more than the late much 

 esteemed Secretary. It was a difficult part which Major-Geueral 

 Scott had to play, and we doubt much if any other man would 

 have done it so well. We make no apology for singling out 

 General Scott from the rest of the Council in these remai'ks, 

 for his name was so freely used, and he himself dragged so 

 prominently forward in the late discussions, that we express 

 the feeling of every horticulturist, that although General Scott's 

 position made it often difficult for him to concede all that 

 could be desired, his conduct and dealing with the Society were 

 always such as to have left on the minds of horticulturists a 

 feeling of sincere personal regard towards him. 



And now that the crisis has come and the administration of 

 the Society will fall into other hands, we trust those who have 

 taken the initiative in this matter will not forget the old 

 traditions of the Society, and the objects for which it was 

 founded. All the troubles which defunct Councils have 

 had to encounter have been brought about by a greater or 

 less neglect of horticulture, and in forming the new Council 

 it will be a matter for serious consideration what will be the 

 result if a majority of its members are not horticultural mem- 

 bers. We do not mean that they should all be practical or 

 professional horticulturists, but they must at least be patrons 

 of horticulture ; and just so far as any Council that is to be 

 formed neglects the primary object of its existence, or estranges 

 itself from the horticultural interest, it too will also reap what 

 it has sown. 



FOECING STRAWBEERIES. 

 Therk are various causes of failure in forcing Strawberries . 

 often only known to those who have charge of the plants 

 Some failures arise from weak plants to begin with, the result 

 of not having time, or rather being able to layer the runners 

 at the proper time ; some from not shifting the plants into 

 the fruiting pots in time to fill these with roots before growth 

 has ceased ; some from manure water improperly administered ; 

 and others from ramming the soil so firmly in potting that 

 the roots cannot penetrate the soil, nor water pass through ; 

 and many plants, no doubt, are lost through starting them in 

 too great a heat when first started. 



Having been engaged in Strawberry forcing for nearly twenty 

 years, I am fully aware that no gardener can reasonably ex- 

 pect to be successful unless he prepare and carefully attend 

 to his plants from the time of laying them up to the time of 

 storing them away to rest before taking them into the forcing 

 house. In every garden where any considerable quantity is 

 required it is always best to plant a piece of ground, or rather 

 a border, for that purpose alone. The sorts to be forced 

 should be planted in the open ground or border a foot apart, 

 in rows not less than 4 feet from each other, to enable anyone 

 to layer them so as to be fuUy exposed to the sun. I consider 

 the stepping-stone to success is to secure good sturdy plants at 

 first, and endeavour to ke&p them so, instead of the long and 

 lanky plants we so often see where a large quantity is required. 

 Some gardeners use small 60-sized pots for layermg, but in 

 this case, if the plants are left too long in the pots, they are 

 so apt to become potbound, that they are a long time before 

 they make a start when they are put in the fruiting pots. 



I find the quickest method of securing plants is to put 

 fresh soil between the rows, press it down firm, and then layer 

 clear from the old plants. They make the best plants of any 

 for forcing. 



Layer the ruimers as, soon as they are large enough, putting 

 down a small peg or a stone just to hold the runner firm tiU 

 it make roots. A man or lad can layer a thousand or two in 

 a very short space of time, and if he just count the pegs or 

 stones before he commences he can soon know when he has 

 the required number. 



AVhen the runners are well rooted no time should be lost in 

 getting them placed in their fruiting pots. The soil, which 

 should have been prepared beforehand, should consist of 

 fibrous loam, with one-third part of rotten manure, and, if 

 possible, some soot or wood ashes should be mixed with it as 

 a check against worms. The pots should be carefully crocked, 

 and a dusting of soot should be put in the bottom to keep the 

 worms out. The soil should not be too wet, but just moist 

 enough to make it firm without being clammy. It should be 

 squeezed in with the hand and not rammed in with a stick — 

 I have seen some ramming it in as though they were putting 

 in a post. The collar of the plant should be just a trifle 

 below the rim of the pot, leaving fully half an inch for 

 water. As soon as the roots have reached the sides of the 

 pots they should be supplied with weak manure water, and as 

 the plants grow the surface should be stirred occasionally, and 

 more space should be afforded between the plants to prevent 

 their leaves becoming drawn. From the time of potting up 

 to the time of resting, the plants should never be allowed to 

 get dry enough to flag, as nothing is more fatal. They should 

 be frequently looked over, and if there be any weak ones 

 among them it is far better to throw them out at once than to 

 leave them and have to do so at last. 



^^'hen the plants are ready for resting, before you force them, 

 if room can be spared, by all means place them in-doors, but 

 in many places this cannot be done ; then the best way of 

 storing "is the old-fashioned oue of piling the pots on their 

 sides in ridges with coal ashes on a north border. Before 

 bringing in the plants for forcing they should have a top- 

 dressing of strong loam and rotten manure ; the drainage 

 should be examined, and the pots washed. 



Care should be taken not to put the plants in great heat at 

 first. From 45° to 50° should be the highest temperature at 

 first, and let it gradually rise as they begin to start into 

 growth. They should not have too much water until the 

 flowerstalks begin to show, but afterwards never allow the 

 plants to get dry till the fruit is ripe. When the plants are 

 in flower they will be benefited in bright sunny days by going 

 over them and gently shaking the blooms, and if the weather 

 permits air should be given both top and bottom, so as to have 

 a free circulation through the house or pit. As soon as the 

 fruit is set give plenty of manure water, weak at first and 

 stronger by degrees ; good clear cow or sheep dung water is 

 the best. 



The varieties I have always found the most certain are 

 Keens' Seedling, Due de Malakoff, Sir Charles Napier for late 

 forcing, with British Queen. Black Prince I can never depend 

 upon. The only drawback to Keens' Seedling is that its fruit 

 is not suited for travelling, but for home use I believe it has 

 no equal. Mr. Radclyfl'e', Dr. Hogg, President, and Sir J. 

 Paxton I have tried, and sometimes they have turned out 

 good and sometimes the reverse. They cannot, in my opinion, 

 be depended upon as so sure as the three first-named kinds. — 

 Lancashike SuBscarBEB. 



CONDENSED JIOISTUEE IN GREENHOUSES. 



A PERSON who really delighted in a pretty cool greenhouse, 

 with a few Vines up the roof, abutting against the principal 

 living-room, and communicating with it by a close-fitting door, 

 has wi-itten that he was quite alarmed about the house fur- 

 niture, itc, because morning after morning there was such a 

 deposition of moisture on the inside glass of a handsome window 

 on the other side of the room. Visitors and wise folk laid 

 it to the much-loved gi-eenhouse, closed door and all, and that, 

 too, though upon an average, whilst this alarming moisture 

 was at its height, the general temperature in the greenhouse 

 was much lower than the temperature of the living-room. The 

 blamegi-eenhouse-theory upholders seemed at first to have it 

 all their own way ; " For see," said they, " the next room is just 

 similar in size to this sitting-room, and everything else similar, 

 except the accompanying greenhouse, but in the latter room 

 there is little or no deposition of moisture on the inside surface 

 of the glass of the window !" Satisfactory though this seemed, we 

 think it was a striking instance that we can rush too quickly to 

 conclusions. On inquiry it was found that everything was not 

 similar in the two rooms. In the greenhouse-sitting-room there 

 was a good fire to keep it comfortable; in the other room a fire 



