60 Cultivation of the Straiaberry in Pots. 



as physiolgists would term it, perfecting the organs of fructifi- 

 cation. Probably, by the beginning of November, the frost 

 will be so severe as to require them to be removed to their 

 winter quarters, which is to plunge them in a dry border, up 

 to the rim of the pots, covering with litter, for the sake of 

 preserving the pots in severe frosts. 



About the middle of December I have generally begun 

 forcing a few, by giving them a top-dressing with the same 

 kind of s®il as used for potting, sprinkling a little charcoal 

 uppermost, with the idea, " probably," of its becoming solu- 

 ble. They are then placed in houses or pits, as near the glass 

 as possible, starting with a temperature of 40° heat by night, 

 reaching 45° during the day, for the first fortnight ; after- 

 wards raising it progressively to 50° during darkness and 75^ 

 by light, maintaining a moist atmosphere up to the time of 

 ripening, watering slightly, until vegetation has started vig- 

 orously, when they must be supplied liberally with the drain- 

 ing of the dung-hill, in a fermenting state, considerably di- 

 luted with soft water, of the same temperature as the atmos- 

 phere surrounding the plants. As soon as the flower stems 

 have reached their full length, tie them up, each stem to a 

 neat stick. When the anthers have expanded, give the pots 

 a shake to disperse the pollen, and complete impregnation ; if 

 insects should appear, syringing and fumigating with tobacco, 

 will be necessciry, but avoid it if possible, which can be done 

 by a due regard to atmospheric moisture. 



It may not be out of place to mention here, that I have 

 seen great benefit arise from waterings with solutions of am- 

 monia fixed with a proportionate quantity of sulphuric acid, 

 that is, to the ammonia add one half sulphuric acid, diluting 

 the whole in two thousand parts rain water. But as the ex- 

 crements of animals contain both the organic and inorganic 

 substances required by vegetable life, it will be found all that 

 is necessary to make up the entire mass, " exclusive of the 

 g'ases.^' 



The kind of strawberry I have found the most prolific, is 

 Keen's Seedling, producing from 40 to 50 full grown and 

 average sized fruits upon each plant; the British dueen, with 



