FRUIT UNDER GLASS. 165 
the crowns well developed. Should the weather become cold and 
wet in October, the plants are better protected from it in some 
way, indeed put into their winter quarters. 
A good place to put them for winter is in a peach-case or 
orchard-house, where they can remain undisturbed till well into 
spring. In the absence of these put them in cold-frames plunged 
‘in leaves to protect the pots from being cracked with the frost. 
Even in some large gardens, however, glass protection cannot be 
spared for them, and they are then built up in ridges, putting 
the pots on their sides, packing in amongst ashes or any 
material that will keep out the frost from cracking the pots. 
Care must always be taken that the roots do not get dry. I 
have seen a batch of strawberry-plants good in every way and 
splendidly prepared for early forcing, with fine ball crowns, yet 
having been allowed to get dry before starting to force, they 
never threw up flowers, and had to be thrown out after occupying 
bed and shelves for six weeks. . 
I do not know any crop that requires more watchful care than 
a very early batch of pots with ripe strawberries, and yet it gives 
more pleasure to succeed with them. 
The strawberry-plants now prepared being all that could be 
desired for early forcing, that is with good crowns and pots full 
of roots, the next thing is how to begin the forcing. In most 
gardens there are no special houses for this. Pits, frames, peach- 
houses, and vineries must be used for them, and with this 
accommodation I have frequently picked a dish of ripe fruit in 
the latter end of February. The best place I have found for 
starting early batches of strawberry-plants is a brick-built pit, 
heated with a flow and return, and deep enough to be filled 
nearly four feet with leaves. No dung should be used; the leaves 
alone give the gentle bottom-heat required—namely, about 75°. 
If even a little dung be used with the leaves I find it a failure. 
The bed being duly prepared before, the latter end of November 
is the earliest time to plunge a batch of plants in the leaves. 
The heat of the leaves will be sufficient for the first horiveots 
then heat may be put in the pipes to keep a temperature of 50 
to 55° mean, 10° more by day with aid of sun. Keep steady at 
that until they throw up their flower-trusses, then they must be 
removed to a shelf in a house near the glass, and I have found 
