258 Strawberry-Gromng 



potted plants. When frost has checked their growth 

 somewhat, early in November, the sash are put on and 

 firing begins. The heat is increased gradually ; at ripen- 

 ing time it should be ninety degrees on sunny days and 

 sixty degrees at night. Great care in watering is neces- 

 sary ; in dark, wet weather the entire crop may mildew 

 if the plants are over-watered. The trusses of berries 

 are propped off the ground with forked sticks. Plants 

 for the second crop are not layered into pots, but strong 

 runners are transplanted from the field to coldframes 

 in late autumn, with a big ball of soil attached. When 

 the first crop begins to decline, these new plants are set 

 between the old ones, which are pulled up when the fruit 

 is off. The second crop ripens about Easter. 



FORCING IN POTS 



The main essential to success is strong plants with large 

 crowns ; small plants with weak crowns give poor results. 

 These are runners from maiden plants, which are set in the 

 spring and treated as in ordinary field culture. Two- 

 inch or three-inch pots, filled with rich soil, are plunged 

 to the rim on each side of the row in June. The first 

 and strongest runners are layered into them. It is 

 necessary to watch the pots closely as heavy rains wash 

 them out or cultivator teeth disturb them. By the last 

 of July or first of August the runners will be well estab- 

 lished in the pots and should be cut off. Wait until the 

 roots completely fill the pots, but do not let the plants 

 become pot-bound — checked in growth by lack of soil. 



The rooted runners are taken to the potting shed and 

 shifted into six-inch pots, in which they are to fruit. The 

 soil is preferably turf that has been secured from an old 



