394 MORE POT-POURRI 



anyone can get the number of the 'Journal ' who is suf- 

 ficiently interested in the subject to wish for the last 

 word. Up to the present, I have never been successful 

 in producing fruit in any sufi&cient quantity to make the 

 growing of these Strawberries seem worth while, but I 

 mean to try, with improved knowledge, to see if it cannot 

 be done even on this sandy soU. A neighbour of mine 

 has been most successful ; but a vein of clay runs 

 through his garden, which is a helpful point, not to 

 mention his greater knowledge and experience on the 

 subject, having previously grown them in France. He 

 kindly wrote out for me the system which he practises 

 in the growing of this most useful and healthful little 

 fruit, called the ' Improved Alpine Strawberry ' : 'To 

 obtain these large and abundant, it is necessary to grow 

 them on young plants (certainly not more than three 

 years old) and plants originally grown from seed. The 

 fruit degenerates rapidly if grown on runners from an 

 old plant. Select the best seed. I grew mine from Vil- 

 morin's No. 17,239— /ratsier des quatres saisons" Berger" 

 — 0.60 centimes per packet. This is cheaper than your- 

 self selecting, maturing, and preparing the seeds, which 

 probably would mature less thoroughly here than under 

 the hot summer sun in France. Sow in March, in a 

 shallow box or pan under glass, well watered, in soU as 

 follows : One half of thoroughly well-rotted leaf -mould, 

 one quarter of sand, one quarter of light loam. Cover 

 with a glass, as usual, until they begin to grow. Very 

 moderate heat. Prepare, in a well -sheltered border ex- 

 posed to the sun, a strip of soil two and a half feet wide. 

 Mix in plenty of well -rotted manure from an old hot- 

 bed with -the light loam of the open border. Plant the 

 young seedlings in a row down the middle of this strip 

 about five inches apart. Water them well, and shade 

 them for a few days till their roots have taken good hold 



