40 Hetrospective Criticism. 



stand tlie first principles of our operations. For out-door management, his 

 method was, to plant them out, when done bearing, in a trench 1 ft. deep, 

 with 2 or 3 inches of well-rotted dung at the bottom, a little soil strewed 

 over it ; turned out of pots, balls entire, and placed very close to each other ; 

 an abundant supply of water to be given, and the soil filled in level. Planta- 

 tions of strawberries in strong rich soil, trenched 2 ft. deep, would produce 

 well for three years, but on light soils he recommended to renew them every 

 year. After detailing many particulars about the sizes of the beds, the proper 

 distances to be planted apart, and the other minutias of general routine, he 

 concluded by recommending the Roseberry, Keen's seedling, Downton, Wel- 

 lington, Carolina pine, red and white Alpine, and Wilmot's superb, for gene- 

 ral cultivation. 



Mr. Gray would advise to take small 60-sized pots, to be filled with leaf 

 mould, then plunged in the borders or beds, that the runners may be pegged 

 down ; when established, to be cut from the parent plant, and placed in 32- 

 sized pots, in good loam. After forcing, to be planted out ; when put into the 

 house, all decaying leaves to be removed, and very little water to be given ; 

 the supply to be gradually increased until the fruit is set, when it may be given 

 copiously ; to be withheld when the fruit is ripening, to improve its flavour. 

 The temperature to commence at 55°, to increase it gradually to 65°, and to 

 ripen them at 70°. 



Mr. Sherwood, in his management of runners, filled 60-sized pots with stiff 

 soil, then plunged them to their rims, stopped the top of the shoot, laid a 

 small stone to fix it in the pot ; when established, shifted into 48-sized pots, 

 plunged in old tan, or in any favourable situation in the open ground, and 

 always fruited them in 32-broad-sized pots. 



Mr. Caie considered the most essential thing in forcing strawberries was to 

 place them near the glass, for, if they are in any way elongated, they will not 

 set well. It was a good plan to set the pots in pans of water, and to plant 3 

 in each pot. 



Mr. Gray believed that the soil in a 32-sized pot will not contain more 

 nourishment than is sufficient to support one plant. To be protected in a 

 covered shed or out-house in winter, as he has seen plants much injured by 

 the frost. He preferred to plunge them in tan, mulched w'ith sheep-dung; 

 if saturated with water, they are very apt to rot off. 



Mr. Kcane approved of the essay brought forward by Mr. Fish. The prac- 

 tice he would recommend was, to put 3 plants in each 32-sized pot, filled with 

 one third rotten dung, and two thirds good stiff' pasture loam, well drained, 

 and plunged as Mr. Sherwood advised. To commence forcing at 50"" ; sheep- 

 dung manure-water to be given when the bloom was falling, and to be con- 

 tinued for three weeks to set and swell the fruit. 



A desultory discussion then took place on the advantages or disadvantages 

 of liquid manure ; on the propriety or impropriety of cutting down the leaves ; 

 and iVIr. Fish concluded by recommending to bring on vegetation gradually, 

 to j)rotect the plants when plunged by spreading any dry litter over them, 

 and to grow them without suffering from the checks that vegetation generally 

 receives in shifting from one pot to another. — Walham Green School-liooms, 

 Dec. 1840. 



Art. V. Relrospeclive Criticism. 



CilATSWORTll, Alton Towers, and Trentham. — I have just returned from 

 these |)laces. Chataworth retains with me its grandiose character. Its rich 

 interior fine doorcases of such size, and its sluulowful cornices and ceilings, 

 take it out almost of the common dwelling to tlic palace character. I think a 

 mistake has been made in carrying the landing, which is so disagreeably narrow. 



