FORCING THE STRA WBERR T. 513 



other care or attention than that of giving plenty of manure to grow 

 in, and a good supply of heat and water. The banana will fruit at 

 all seasons, and no doubt with easier culture than any kind of fruit 

 grown under glass. The Musa Cavendishii is by far the best variety 

 to cultivate for its fruit ; the plant is not only more showy, but the 

 fruit is the largest and best flavoured. They do best and are least 

 trouble planted out in a border, provided with bottom heat. English- 

 grown fruit are very superior to those imported, as in our stoves the 

 fruit can be gathered daily as it ripens, and the delicious aroma and 

 delicate flavour, so unlike that of any other fruit, are generally relished 

 and much liked." 



Forcing the Strawberry. 



Data on which the Forcing of the Strawberry is Founded. The straw- 

 berry (Fraguria, L.) is a genus of herbaceous perennials or biennials, 

 of which some species are natives of Europe, and others of North and 

 South America. They all grow in woods, and in soil more or less 

 loamy and moist; but the kinds have been so changed by culture in 

 British gardens, and this culture has been so successful both in the 

 open garden and under glass, that we shall adopt it as a guide. 

 Almost all the kinds of strawberry in cultivation will bear forcing ; 

 but the kinds preferred are chiefly the Black Prince, Keen's Seed- 

 ling, British Queen, Carolina Superb, Dr. Hogg, Sir Charles Napier, 

 Mr. Radcliffe, Trollope's Victoria, Sir Harry, Sir Joseph Paxton, 

 President, Prince Arthur, Princess Alice, Maud, Pathfinder, and Prince 

 Imperial. As the flavour of strawberries is seldom good when they 

 are ripened before the middle or end of March, forcing is seldom 

 commenced till the middle of January, and those excited about that 

 time, and properly treated, will ripen fruit in about nine weeks. The 

 plants should be previously well established in pots ; though in default 

 of this they may be taken up with balls, and potted, and at once placed 

 in the forcing-house ; or the balls may be set close together on the 

 surface of a bed of fermenting material, or heated by a flue or hot- 

 water pipes underneath. The crown of the plants, whether in pots or 

 on a bed, should not be more than a foot from the glass. The tem- 

 perature at first should not exceed 45 or 50, with fire-heat, and 

 abundance of air should be given, even when the temperature is as 

 low as 40. After the fruit is set, the temperature may be raised from 

 55 to 60, with fire heat, and 65 or 70 with sun-heat, provided 

 abundance of air is given. Strawberries may be forced with great ad- 

 vantage in the peach-house, vinery, orchard-house, the cherry-house, or 

 in warm pits. They may be also forced in the open garden by having 

 pipes of hot water laid a foot under the surface of the soil, between 

 the rows of the plants, and covering them with glass or with canvas 

 during nights and in stormy weather. 



Routine Practice in Forcing the Strawberry. As soon as the runners 

 are fit for the purpose, layer each in a sixty-sized pot in good strong 

 loam, with a portion of well-decayed manure. Place a stone on each run* 

 ner, for the double purpose of keeping the plant in a fixed position, and 



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