CHAr. XI VILLA aAEDENINa 377 



moved from one house to another to get up the flavour in a drier 

 cooler atmosphere, that must be done carefully. The Strawberry 

 is a soft fruit. If shaken, so that the fruits touch each other 

 or rub against the edges of the pots, they will be sure to sustain 

 some injury. 



Insects and Mildew.— The red spider is the chief insect- 

 enemy which Strawberry -growers dread, and the syringe is the 

 best weapon to face it witli. Strong, healthy, vigorous plants are 

 less liable to be attacked than those with thin flimsy foliage. 

 The green- fly can easily be kept down by fumigations with Tobacco 

 smoke, but the syringe and plenty of clean water will go a long 

 way in keeping down aphides of all kinds. Mildew sometimes 

 appears, especially in the case of large soft -fruited kinds ; but 

 when this happens it generally arises through too much moisture 

 being present in some form or other during a continuance of dull 

 sunless weather. If mildew appears on anything, the best plan 

 will be to remove every plant with the least suspicion of whiteness 

 upon it, and alter the conditions of the house at once. Paint the 

 pipes with sulphur, use a little more fire, and give more air. 



KEEriNG Plants a Second Year. — Though young plants 

 when well done undoubtedly produce the finest fruit, yet, for bulk 

 of crop, healthy two-year-old plants are not to be despised. When 

 the forcing is finished, a selection is made of the best and healthiest 

 plants remaining after the stock of runners in the future has been 

 provided for. The plants arc shaken out, and repotted into clean 

 6-inch pots, adding a little of Amies' manure (about a pound to a 

 bushel) of the ordinary Strawberry compost. Other stimulating 

 artificials are prol)ably as good or better than Amies', but it is the 

 only one which I happen to have used for the purpose. The 

 jjlants that are intended 



For Late Fruiting may be planted in boxes, or be turned 

 out of the pots into beds of soil in pits or frames, Avhere a 

 little warmth can be given with the view of saving labour. 

 The plan, I grant, has its disadvantages, and I know many 

 experienced growers prefer to keep their plants in pots, as 

 under pot culture, though a little more labour may 1)6 required, 

 the plants are very manageable. As fast as the fruits are 

 gathered from one pot it can be removed, and another takes 

 its place. Each Strawlierry plant has a separate and independent 

 existence, and it is this mobility which will always keep the pot 

 system in favour with practical men, who quickly detect the weak 

 points in any case. In the majority of gardens where Strawberries 

 are forced, and their name is legion, they are commonly treated as 

 catch crops — in Peacheries, Vineries, Pineries, Cucumber and 



