436 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



STR 



next June, or in less than a year from the 

 time of planting, while by planting by ordi- 

 nary layers, if planted in August, we have 

 three months of fall culture, and six or seven 

 months of the next 'summer's culture, before 

 a crop is produced. Again, if the crop is con- 

 tinued to fruit the second or third year, every 

 one who has had experience with the nature 

 of the plant knows that the labor of keeping 

 the plants free from weeds is enormous; 

 while by* the pot-layering method of taking a 

 fresh crop each year, all such labor is dis- 

 pensed with. It is useless to name any special 

 varieties of the Strawberry as best to culti- 

 vate. We have now thousands under culti- 

 vation, and such kinds as we might now name 

 as the best will, a few years hence, be super- 

 seded. It is best to select from the annual 

 catalogues of some responsible nurseryman 

 or florist, where descriptions are usually fully 

 given. 

 Strawberries. Forcing. In response to a re- 

 quest to John G. Gardner, of Jobstown, N J. 

 (who is one of the most successful growers of 

 forced Strawberries), for his system and prac- 

 tice, he sends the following, under date of 

 December 19th, 1888 : 



"In giving you in detail the system of 

 'Forcing Strawberries' as practiced at Jobs- 

 town, I would first say that those whawish to 

 force Strawberries should make themselves 

 thoroughly familiar with the natural condi- 

 tions of the plants, making a close examina- 

 tion of the construction of the perfect flowers, 

 the calyx, corolla, stamens, and pistils, form- 

 ing, as they do, in periods successively as 

 named above ; noting the atmospheric influ- 

 •ences under which they develop to fulfill the 

 part nature has ordained for them. The oper- 

 ator having taken his observations closely, 

 will have one of the principal points in forcing 

 Strawberries at hand; knowing how the com- 

 plicated parts of a perfect Strawberry flower 

 are formed under natural conditions, he will 

 be able to provide attificiai means under glass, 

 to produce healthy flowers. 



"My best results have been from good, 

 Btrong plants, layered from one year old plants, 

 as early as it is possible to get them, which is 

 about the 20th of June, in this section. The 

 runners are layered in three-inch pots, partially 

 filled with well-rotted manure, filled up with 

 good soil, and plunged level with the ground, 

 the point of the runner being slightly inserted 

 in the soil, and fastened down with a crook of 

 bent wire, and the soil kept moist by watering ; 

 good healthy runners will be ready to shift 

 into fruiting pots in two weeks. I never take 

 more than two layers from one runner. For 

 fruiting I use six-inch pots, give good drain- 

 age, and pot firmly in two parts of good loam 

 to one of rotted manure, one plant in a pot, 

 placing them when potted close together in an 

 open spot upon an even surface of coal ashes. 

 After being potted three weeks, and having 

 made good growth, I place them six inches 

 apart, and remove all runners that show. When 

 the pots have become full of roots, liquid ma- 

 nure is given twice a week, and abundance of 

 water is given at all times while they are mak- 

 ing their growth, and after every hot day they 

 are sprinkled overhead with water. By the mid- 

 dle of September the plants will have formed 

 good plump centres, orcrowns, and the foliage 

 Irom the centre will be diminishing in size ; all 



STR 



that is necessary at this stage is to keep them 

 well supplied with water, as the pots being full 

 of roots "they will dry out quickly. Under 

 favorable circumstances, by the middle of 

 October, the plants in this section will have 

 ceased to make growth, and the cool nights 

 will have helped to form flower buds in well 

 matured and plump crowns. Some seasons 

 are much more favorable than others, as, for 

 instance, when we get a cool fall, with rains 

 and slight frosts, the growth is checked, and 

 the development of the scale-like forms in the 

 centre of the crowns becomes much more 

 rapid, and takes on the form of flower-buds. 

 Plants with single crowns are the best to 

 select for very early berries for Christmas 

 and New Year's. The operator, after making 

 his selection, must sacrifice a few plants, cut- 

 ting them clear through the centre of the 

 crowns with a sharp knife, to make an exami- 

 nation of the flower-buds. If, by the 15th of 

 October, they are the size of a small pea, it 

 will be an easy matter to force them for Christ- 

 mas, but if, on the other hand, the flower-buds 

 are no larger than the head of a pin, then the 

 process of forcing must be cooler and slower. 

 My treatment of plants in the former stage 

 — with well-advanced flower-buds— is to re- 

 move a few of the lower leaves, taking care 

 not to damage the centre of the plants, and 

 dip each plant in a solution of whale oil, soap, 

 sulphur and tobacco water, to clear them of 

 Red Spider, which is the worst enemy of the 

 Strawberry forcer, oftentimes gaining such 

 headway duringthe flowering season — atwhich 

 time the air has to be kept perfectly dry — that 

 the whole crop is ruined. The pots are placed 

 upon shelves or benches not farther than two 

 feet from the glass. In front of the outside 

 row of pots which is exposed to the full 

 sun, a board about six inches wide is placed 

 on edge to prevent the roots from getting 

 scalded, and the pots from drying out too 

 rapidly. The foliage Is sprinkled over with 

 the syringe every clear morning, and a free 

 circulation of air is given ; but the liouse is 

 partially closed during the afternoon, and a 

 moist atmosphere, at a temperature of 55° to 

 60° is maintained until sundown. Air is then 

 given freely to reduce the temperature to 45° 

 at night, as nearly as possible, as a high night 

 temperature has a tendency to push the foliage 

 ahead of the flower-buds. In dull days a 

 temperature of 50° is maintained. By the 

 time the flower-buds appear above the crown 

 of the plants, a night temperature of 50° may 

 be kept and continued until the crop is set. 

 The day temperature, when in flower, must 

 not exceed 55°, with a free circulation of air 

 and the atmosphere perfectly dry, care being 

 taken not to slop water around when watering 

 the plants. These conditions must be kept up 

 for two weeks to make a perfect set of well- 

 formed fruit. The receptacle which becomes 

 the fruit will not be hurried, and the pistils 

 will not mature to receive the pollen under a 

 warm damp air. The operator must be sure 

 that the varieties he forces are good pollen- 

 bearing sorts, and if a pistiliferous variety, 

 some other kinds which have plenty of stamens 

 must be forced with it. Sharpless is one of 

 the best. To make sure of a good set of per- 

 fect fruit, I use bees as fertilizing agents, 

 setting the hives in the houses on the benches 

 or floors, keeping the mouth of the hive from 



