392 Forcing Strawberries. 



5 



Art. III. On forcing Strawberries. By Mr. William Nott, 

 Foreman of the Taunton Nursery. 



Towards the end of August, or the beginning of September, 

 I take from the old plants of Keen's seedling, (which I have 

 proved to be the best kind for forcing,) the young plants ot 

 that season, carefully taking them up with as much earth ad- 

 hering to their roots as I possibly can. After planting them 

 in pots four inches' diameter, I place them in an open, shady 

 situation, where I let them remain until the middle of Octo- 

 ber, when I remove them into pots eight inches' diameter, 

 placing them in a cool frame, and covering at night if frosty. 

 In this frame I let them remain, with proper attention as to 

 air and water, until the middle of January, w T hen I remove 

 them to the forcing pit, which should be prepared and ma- 

 naged as follows : 



The pit most suitable for this purpose should be built with 

 a four-inch brick wall, sunk eighteen inches below the sur- 

 face, four feet high at back, two and a half feet in front, and 

 four feet wide, with a trench eighteen inches wide, and the 

 depth of the pit, both at back and front, for linings. The pit must 

 be filled nearly to the top with new bark properly prepared. 

 When the heat is risen, and the bark settled, a sufficient 

 quantity of old bark should be placed upon it for the purpose 

 of plunging the pots. This being done, and care taken not 

 to have them more than six inches from the glass, very little 

 air must be given until they begin to grow, when more must 

 be admitted, but sparingly, taking care to give a sufficient 

 quantity of water to keep them in a free growing state, and 

 taking off all runners as soon as they appear. In this manner 

 they must be treated until they produce their flower-stems, 

 when they must have a larger proportion of air, in order to 

 keep them from growing weak. When the flowers begin to 

 expand as much air must be given as the weather will permit, 

 and every attention must be paid as to keeping them supplied 

 with plenty of water, and a heat from 65° to 70°, which 

 must be kept up by repeated linings of hot stable dung 

 both at back and front of the pit. The compost I have found 

 to suit them best, is three parts rich maiden loam, and one 

 part well-rotted horse-dung, well mixed together, and used 

 as coarse as possible, with five or six large potsherds in the 

 bottom of each pot. If this work is begun at the above- 

 mentioned time, and the rules here laid down strictly attended 

 to, the operator will be able, early in April, to gather plenty 

 of well-ripened fruit. When the plants have done bearing, 



