378 VILLA GAKDENING PART iv 



Melon houses, and in the various plant-houses. In fact, Straw- 

 berries are grown anywhere and everywhere under glass in spring, 

 and the pot system of culture is the only one which in all respects 

 meets the plants' as well as the cultivator's requirements. 



Varieties for Forcing. — Vicomtesse de Thury, La Grosse 

 Sucrde, President, Sir Joseph Paxton, James Veitch, British 

 Queen, Loxford Hall Seedling, Sir Charles Napier. The above 

 are all good forcers, and, if carefully packed, will travel long 

 distances without injury. 



In Packing Strawberries for travelling very careful treat- 

 ment is necessary. In the first place, properly constructed boxes 

 will be required. Those I use are made of thoroughly seasoned 

 wood (half-inch stuff"), 12 inches square, and about 1^ inches deep 

 — just deep enough to liold one layer of fruit. A layer of cotton 

 wadding is placed in the bottom, and each Strawberry is packed in 

 a separate leaf — either a small vine, a French Bean, or a large Straw- 

 berry leaf will do. The leaves are gathered a short time before 

 they are required, so that they may lose their stiff"ness before 

 coming in contact with the fruit. The Strawberries must be 

 placed close together, so that they cannot move ; and when the 

 box is full, a layer of leaves, followed by a layer of wadding, will 

 complete tlie packing. I need not say that everything must be 

 perfectly dry. 



CHAPTER XII 



Miscellaneous Fruits. — I will close these chapters on fruit 

 forcing with a brief reference to a few fruits not generally grown, 

 but which I have found valuable additions to the dessert. What- 

 ever we may say or do, there is a demand for novelty in all things, 

 and the wise man, instead of ignoring that demand, endeavours to 

 meet and supply it. 



The Banana (Musa Cavendishh). — I suppose no one on 

 tasting his first Tomato or Banana goes into ecstasies over it ; but if 

 he perseveres, the taste grows until it is possible he may desire 

 never to be without these luxuries. The cultivation of the Banana 

 is the easiest thing imaginable, and may be summed up in three 

 words — " Heat and moistm'e." The dwarf species, Musa Caven- 

 dishii, is best adapted for moderately-sized establishments. They 

 may either be planted out in a pit supplied with bottom-heat, or 

 grown in pots, and the pots plunged in bottom-heat. In either 

 case a good deal of top-room will be required, as the leaves are 

 large and spreading. The house for Bananas should not be less 



