THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



79 



STEAWBEEEIES AND GRAPES IN THE SAME HOUSE. 



BY WILLIAM COLE, 

 Head Gardener, Ealing Park, Middlesex. 



HT does not appear to be generally known by amateur 

 cultivators that really first-class crops of strawberries 

 may be obtained considerably in advance of those from 

 the open borders, without the aid of fire heat. Yet 

 such is the case ; for with the assistance of glass only 

 they come on very rapidly after they commence to make new growth 



COMBINED GRAPE AND STBAWBEBBY HOUSE. 



in the spring, and the crop attains maturity long before it will be 

 possible to gather ripe strawberries from the beds out of doors. 

 Splendid fruit may indeed be gathered from plants in a cool house, 

 when, at the wholesale rate, it is worth from eight to twelve 

 shillings per pound. This being the case, I have thought many 

 amateurs would be interested in knowing that good strawberries 

 may be had from houses in which crops of grapes are obtained 

 without forcing. The strawberry plants begin to grow a little 

 before the grape vines, and by the time the latter have covered the 

 roof with a canopy of green leaves, the crop of strawberries will be 

 ready for gathering. 



One of the best forms of house for growing grapes and 

 strawberries together, is represented in the accompanying diagram. 

 In a house of this kind, the vines are trained up the roof, and the 

 pots containing the strawberries are placed on the stage, which ia 

 three feet from the glass. The plants are watered from behind ; 

 and as the shelves are eighteen inches apart, the plants can be 



March. 



