Domestic Mtices, 881 



great advantage to them. We have in our nursery at the present 

 time one-year old plants treated in the same way, with fruit on as 

 large as six and seven inches in circumference: the sorts we irrow are 

 for the first crops, Keen's Seedling; for the second, Imperial; for the 

 third, Elton, and a seedling of my own raising. After the crop of the 

 first season is off, never touch them till the following spring, only to 

 keep them as clear as possible from weeds, never taking any of the 

 leaves or runners away. We have found by experience that they 

 preserve their crowns from cold winds and frost during the early part 

 of spring, which are very injurious at that time of the season if left 

 exposed. As soon as they have made a start for the second year, 

 which may easily be perceived by the crowns swelling, take a knife 

 and cut oflf all dead leaves and wires, leaving all the first runners in 

 the beds, and taking the second and third out; by leaving them in the 

 beds the same way as I have stated, you get a double crop, one from 

 the two-year old plants, and one from runners, and the l)e<!s will be 

 one com[)lete mass of fruit. When you have taken out the wires, 

 &c., take some fine rich soil, and sift it over the whole of the beds; 

 the alleys between the beds tnust be cleared of all runners, and 

 kept clean from weeds. As soon as the i)lants are in bloom, water 

 as I have stated before, and when the fruit is as large as nuts, give 

 them one good dressing with liquid manure, and if the dry weather 

 should set in, and the leaves turn purple, they should have a good sub- 

 stantial watering, for if affected by drought at any period of their 

 growth, it will injure the crop. We grow them three years, and no 

 more; the third year in the same way as the second, any more than 

 giving them two dressings of liquid manure instead of one; as the 

 plants get rather exhausted, they require more food. With the 

 treatment I have now stated, we have obtained Strav, berries for this 

 last three years not to be equalled in England. {Gard. Mag.) 



Art. II. Domestic Notices. 



Jl fine cultivated specimen of Lobelia cardinalis is now before me, 

 which is worthy a passing notice. It consists of fourteen stems, 

 arising from one root, each covered with fine blossoms. This unu- 

 sual number was in consequence of some injury which occurred to 

 the main stem after it had pushed up for flowering. The number 

 of individual blossoms is upwards of three hundred and fifty; and it 

 being of the while variety, presents an unique and beautiful apjicar- 

 ance. I have another variety, in which a distinct pale stripe is per- 

 ceptible on each of its lower petals, which, contrasting with the 

 usual scarlet, makes it quite a pretty object. The first mentioned 

 has been cultivated in a large pot, with rich earth and abundance of 

 ■water; the latter in the open border. — J?., Chelmsford, Aug. 24. 

 Tivo crops of flowers. — A forced specimen of Phlox stolonifera, 



