454 General Notices. 



observations on a cheap way of obtaining a crop where labor is scarce. I 

 used to grow my strawberries as other people do who have a gardener, 

 which I have not, and consequently a year without a dish of strawberries 

 was far from uncommon. But a neighbor who is in the same predicament 

 with respect to labor, and yet hardly ever failed having an abundant crop, 

 told me he never suffered his beds to be touched except when the fruit was 

 to be gathered ! I followed his plan, with a few trifling modifications, and 

 have only had one failure since, and expect never to have another. My 

 friend's beds are several of them twelve and fifteen years old. I cover the 

 beds with straw at the beginning of the winter, and let the young runners 

 kill and take the place of the old roots, whereby a deep layer of humus is 

 formed, just as in old grass land, and by the same process. But I had a 

 failure in 1843, so in 1844 I applied the dressing just referred to, and the 

 produce was such as I really believe, if I could give it you accurately, 

 would be incredible. This year I tried the same again, and on another bed 

 guano ; the result being that the guano produced enormous plants and very 

 good fruit, but no more of it than might have been expected without any 

 dressing, and the size no greater than my inferior mode of cultivation com- 

 monly gives. The bed watered with my guano was not so early by a week, 

 and the plants not larger than usual ; but the crop in quantity, size, and 

 flavor on a par with that of last year. The latest, however, was considera- 

 bly in advance of any of my neighbors. My composition is one pound each 

 of Epsom salts, Glauber's salts, pearl ash, and carbonate of soda, and half 

 pound of muriate of ammonia to sixty gallons of water. Last year I used 

 small quantities of chloride and phosphate of lime and nitre, instead of the 

 pearl ash ; but I tried the two in different parts of the bed this year and 

 found no difference. I apply it as soon as the plants show signs of growth 

 in the spring, watering them pretty freely without a rose three times, at 

 intervals of about a week, so as to finish before they come into flower. 

 And if the season be dry, I find it absolutely necessary to supply them 

 liberally with common water afterwards during their whole time of growth, 

 or their increased activity will very quickly kill them. Independently of 

 the quantity, strawberries of equal size I never saw grown on plants grown 

 separately. I say separately, for by this plan the bed is of course a com- 

 plete mat, and yet last year I measured a specimen of Keen's seedling five 

 inches, and that towards the end of the season. And during the whole 

 time of bearing I could at any time gather a plate fit for exhibition. This 

 year was not of course equal to it, on account of the wetness of the season, 

 but the crop was equally abundant, and I had not so large a portion of it 

 fogged oflF when half ripe. {Id. pp. 561 — 562.) 



I CuUioation of the Pelargonium. — Notwithstanding the pelargonium is so 

 commonly cultivated in every collection, yet it is rare to see very finely 

 grown plants. In England, Mr. Beck, the manufacturer of slate pots, has 

 had the greatest success in raising seedlings, and also in cultivating the 

 plants, and he has been the most successful competitor for prizes at the 

 great shows of the London Horticultural Society. His seedlings are of 



