180 



JOUfiNAL OF HOKTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( Stptambar 3, 1889. 



inch apart. Betarn them to the frame, and keep them close 

 and moist, ebading from bright sun for a few day^ until they 

 recover, and are growing freely ; then give them plenty of air, 

 harden them well off by the beginning of May, and plant them 

 out where they are to fruit. 



In planting, three lines maybe placed in a I feet bed at 

 li inches apart, and the plants I font from each other in the 

 lines. The outside lines may be inches from the edges, and 

 1-foot alleys being left, they will be 2 feet from the opposite 

 oatside lines of each bed. They may also be planted in lines 

 IS inches apart, and the plants 1 foot apart in the lines, put- 

 ting in two lines, and then allowing 2 feet between these and 

 the next two lines, which space will serve as an alley, afford- 

 iag access to the plants for gathering the fruit and watering. 

 The plants should be lifted carefully, preserving the roots as 

 far as possible, and a good watering given, which should be 

 repeated in dry weather. Before the dog-days, the intervals 

 between the rows should every year be mulched with short 

 manure or leaf mould. This to a great extent prevents eva- 

 poration, furnishes a good material for the runners to root in, 

 and watering carries down a portion of the nourinhing matters 

 o( the top-dressing to the Strawberry roots. The better the 

 plants are attended to with water the better they will grow. 

 They will not bear much the first year, though in autumn they 

 may afford a tolerably good supply. 



For autumn fruiting in the first year, the seed ought to be 

 sown at the end of January or beginning of February in heat, 

 the seedlings pricked off when large enough, forwarded in heat, 

 and hardened off by the end of April, when they should be 

 planted out. 



When the plants commence blooming, elates or tiles should 

 be placed between the rows to prevent the dampness of the 

 soil in autumn causing the fruit to decay. There is another 

 advantage in the slates, besides preserving the fruit — they be- 

 come heated by the sun's rays, and the fruit acquire a better 

 flavour. The runners ought to be allowed to grow ; they should 

 not be cut off as they appear, for from them we hope for fruit 

 in autumn, as well as from the parent plants. 



Instead of raising plants from seed for autumn fruiting, 

 runners of the previous year may be planted in March or the 

 beginning of April, and treated like the seedlings, only they 

 are not put under glass. For summer fruiting, and continu- 

 ing the supply until autumn, the runners should be planted 

 out when they become well rooted, and during the year in 

 ■which they are produced by the parent plants. The trusses of 

 bloom ought to be pinched off as they show on those planted 

 ia spring to farnish late autumn fruit, until August, as by 

 allowing them to fruit before they become established we keep 

 them weak, unable to give more than a moiety of autumn fruit. 

 Having the plants now established from seed or runners, in 

 March I cut away all the runners not rooted, point the soil 

 between the lines and around the plants, and cive a top-dress- 

 ing of rotten manure fully an inch thick. When the plants 

 are coming into bloom give a similar top-dressing, and after- 

 wards water copiously in dry weather. There is no necessity for 

 putting down slates in summer or in the second year, for the 

 crop will come in from July to the end of August. When the 

 gatherings are becoming smaller — the plants are very sluggish 

 in August, as most Alpines are from the drought — I take away 

 any runners where too crowded, but not many, and top-dress 

 again, putting the top-dressing neatly round the plants and 

 rtinners, and give a good soaking of water then and every third 

 day as long as the weather continues dry. I place some slates 

 between the rows by the end of September, desirojing some 

 runners which woul I have fruited, no doubt, but for "the slates ; 

 but any loss from this cause is compensated for by the fruit 

 being prevented from decaying. The result the second year is 

 plenty of fruit in July and August, the supply slackening a 

 little at the end of the month ; and from September to Christ- 

 mas, if the weather is mild, I have fruit — not a dish every day, 

 but very often, and might have a dish every day if a suflicient 

 Dumber of plants were grown. 



In the third year trim and top-dress in March. Leave a 

 good many runners at that time between the rows, and water 

 well after they come into bloom. They will bear an immense 

 number of fruit — small, but the finest of all for preserving, as 

 they keep their form so well, and they are particularly desirable 

 for glasBes on the table. It is hard to tell whether the red or 

 white are the more beautiful. After they have borne all the 

 fruit they will in the third year, break up the bed, and plant 

 the ground with anything Except Strawberries, the most ex 

 hausting crop I know. To keep up a supply we must sow or 



plant every year, or not more seldom than every alternate 



year. 



The following varieties, besides the Bed and White Alpine, 

 are the best — viz., Blanche d'Orlfans, white ; fruit larger than 

 the White Alpine, which it must supersede. Brune de tiilbert, 

 dark red, nearly black ; it fruits abundantly in autumn, bat 

 is small. Galande, dark red ; an abundant bearer, perhaps 

 the best-flavoured Alpine. 



If blight appear it is a sign that the watering is insuffi- 

 cient, or runs off by the surface without wetting the soil, as 

 water often does on elopes. In this case holes should be made 

 with an iron bar or rod, and the water given gently; by the 

 exercise of a little patience the soil may thus be made 

 thoroughly moist. The blight or mildew disappears when the 

 soil becomes moist, and a good wetting overhead on the even- 

 ings of hot days will wash it off the fruit, and keep the latter 

 from becoming deformed, and from not swelling ; indeed, if 

 the mildew Le left to itself the blooms turn blind. Plenty of 

 air. water, and a liroiling sun are the delight of the Strawberry. 



It may not be known that seedlings grown in 0-incb pots, 

 placed in a frame early in November, always afforded air, but 

 protected from frost, if removed to a light, airy bouse in Decem- 

 ber, and set on a shelf near the glass, will fruit in winter. 

 Their handsome fruit and pretty foliage render them fine ob- 

 jects for table decoration, the red variety contrasting well with 

 the white. The plants should be grown in partial shade until 

 the end of August, have all blooms picked off, and then be 

 potted in Ci-inch pots, layering the first runners just within the 

 rim, as a fringe all round. Set the pots in the full sun, and 

 water well. The plants may be had in bearing throughout the 

 autumn, and at any time you like by picking off the flowers 

 six weeks before you want them. Kemove all runners but 

 those wanted for the fringe. — G. Abbey. 



NOTES ON HOSES. 



DuBiNO the last few weeks I have had several exceedingly 

 fine flowers from Boses grafted as standards on the Briar in 

 March last, many of which are now coming into bloom again, 

 and by the end of the autumn, should nothing unforeseen occur, 

 will form excellent bushy heads. I am led to make the above 

 remark from the observations contained in some letters I re- 

 ceived after the appearance of my article on Bose-grafting in 

 the open air on the Briar (see Vol. XVI., page 178), as the 

 quickest and best method for obtaining good and lasting 

 standard Hoses, many persons expressing an opinion that if 

 grafted instead of budded the flowers would deteriorate. This I 

 have found not to be the case, but, on the contrary, some of 

 the weaker kinds grow much better, and the top of the Briar 

 being closed over, no insects make their way in and eat down 

 into the pith of the stock, as with those budded. 



I am fully aware that the stock on which a plant or tree is 

 budded or grafted will, and does, often alter the colour of the 

 flower or flavour of the fruit of the scion, and I have an in- 

 stance of this. Two standard Roses (both budded) of Lord 

 Riglan, have been producing quite distinct flowers in the way 

 of colour; the flowers of one tree being of a deep reddish- 

 coloured purple, while those of the other had much blue or 

 violet. In all other respects they are similar. Possibly had 

 these two trees been grafted, the grafting might have been 

 urged as the cause. However, what I want to make known at 

 the present time, is the perfect success of grafting Boses as stan- 

 dards on the cleft or wedge principl.;, which I have heard has 

 been, and still is doubted. 



My Boses have done well this year so far, thanks to Fowler's 

 Insecticide, two syringings of which effectually cleared them of 

 the aphis. I have also used it wi.h some success for the 

 yellow fungus on other trees. 



Amongst my newer varieties, I purchased MarCohal Neil. 

 This is the only Rose I can do nothing with at present. I have 

 tried it on its own roots, on the Briar, on the Manetti, in the 

 border, and against a south wall, and still it eludes my utmost 

 endeavours to make it grow. Tea Roses, as a rule, do very 

 well with me, but Mate ohal Neil does not ; it loses its foliage, 

 and finally dies. I mention this, as I find others, hke myself, 

 have lost their plants. I shall try it once more worked on the 

 Gloire de Dijon as a stock. This" is my last hope. 



As a white — a clear good white, I am much pleased with 

 Boule de Neige, the habit is good, the petals thick, and it is of 

 good form, though small, and with me it has been much ad 

 mired. Xavior OUbo, Victor VerJier, Alfred Colomb, Duke of 



