THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



FORCING STRAWBERRIES. 



Forced strawberries afford the first-ripe fruit of the year, and fine well-flavoured 

 specimens are much valued. Amateurs can secure good dishes from plants in frames or 

 on the shelves of a greenhouse. Free-cropping varieties must be selected. The fruit 

 should be large, highly coloured, bright and glossy. The handsomer the better, for 

 ill-shapen and dull-coloured fruits find no favour at table or market. The following are 

 approved varieties for affording early and successional crops under glass. 



I. Varieties for starting before the new year for the early crops : La Grosse Sucre*e, 

 Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury. Harris' Al and Princess Frederick William are also 

 bright and handsome ; the first requires time to develop flavour in a cooler house, and 

 the latter yields a strong perfume ; both are compact and prolific. 



II. For starting with the new year for second early crops : Keen's Seedling or Sir 

 Harry, and Noble. 



III. For starting by the middle of February for midseason crops : President, 

 Sir Joseph Paxton, Eoyal Sovereign, and Sir Charles Napier. 



IV. For late crops requiring to be brought forward very gently and not 

 subjected to artificial heat before early March : British Queen, Dr. Hogg, Cockscomb, 

 and Waterloo. Eivers' Eliza and Filbert Pine are exquisite in flavour when gently 

 forced. 



V. For very large fruit in cool houses or wall cases : Noble, Competitor, Marguerite, 

 James Veitch, Auguste Nicaise, Eoyal Sovereign, and Waterloo. 



Plants. Success in forcing strawberries depends greatly on strong and well-matured 

 plants. Two methods of providing them are adopted. 1. Layering in small pots and 

 subsequently transferring the plants to the sizes in which they are to bear. This method 

 has already been described up to the first stage, page 226, the runners being the 

 earliest borne by strong, fruitful plants one year old. 2. Layering the runners on the 

 fruiting pots in the first instance and so avoiding re-potting. 



It is important by either method to leave the runners attached to the parents until 

 well rooted. Those layered in the fruiting pots may be left longer than those in 3-inch 

 pots, and some cultivators consider a better plant is secured ; but others favour the 3-inch 

 pot system on the ground that by the layering in the fruiting pots the roots pass to the 

 sides of the pot, leaving the central mass unoccupied, while the drainage is liable to 

 get clogged by worms. When the runners layered in 3-inch pots are well rooted, 

 detach them, and stand the pots on ashes on a north border, keeping the soil moist, and 



