THE STRAWBERRY i8i 



atmosphere conducive to growth is produced. It will not be found necessary 

 to give much water to the roots during the first few weeks. 



The Plants in Flower. — If started in mid-November and thus treated 

 the strawberry plants ought to be in flower soon after Christmas, and when 

 in flower they must be treated very carefully. At such an early season it is 

 no easy matter to get the flowers to " set " — a technical term indicating the 

 formation of the embryo fruits. As soon as the first flowers appear remove 

 the plants upon which they are produced to a house that is light and can be 

 efficiently ventilated and heated ; eventually take all the plants there as they 

 come into flower. Place them near the glass, that is to say, within 8 inches or 

 so, that they may have all the light possible. Keep the night temperature of 

 the house at 55 degs. Fahr., and admit the maximum amount of air permissible 

 under the conditions prevailing out-of-doors. If there is frost then, of course, 

 air must not be given. Keep the atmosphere of the house dry by a judicious 

 regulation of the heating apparatus ; anything approaching dampness is fatal to 

 the "setting" of the flowers. The object of keeping the temperature warm 

 and dry, and of admitting to the flowers as much fresh air as possible, is to 

 facilitate fertilisation, and this is effected because the pollen remains dry and 

 is therefore easily dispersed. In this early forcing of the strawberry it is 

 necessary to pass over each individual flower with a camel-hair brush so as to 

 aid fertilisation. Unfavourable weather often prevails when early strawberries 

 are in flower, so that every opportunity of helping them to " set " should be 

 taken. 



The Fruits Formed. — In a week or ten days after the opening of the 

 flowers there ought to be a sufficient number of fruits "set," and to be able to deter- 

 mine when the embryo fruit is properly formed is most important. If the plants 

 are placed in a warm and moist house before the young fruits are really formed 

 these will prove a complete failure. Instead of at once commencing to develop 

 as they should, the tiny fruits will become hard and stunted, and, although they 

 may reach maturity, will be so mis-shapen, under-sized, and flavourless as to be 

 useless. To be able to say positively that the fruit is " set," all the numerous 

 tiny yellow pistils that cover the receptacle (really the embryo fruit) should 

 have shrivelled. So long as they remain yellow they are not fertilised. Flowers 

 whose centres turn black should be picked off, for they are useless. Before 

 removing a plant from the cool and airy house in which it has been while in 

 flower make sure that a sufficient number of fruits are properly formed. It is 

 quite a false idea to think that the development of the fruits may be hurried by 

 placing them in a warm house immediately the petals have fallen, for this does 

 not necessarily indicate that the embryo fruits are perfectly formed. Not only 

 is nothing gained by removing them from the cool house too soon, but very 

 often serious losses may ensue through doing this. It is impossible to attempt 

 to force strawberries with success before they are perfectly formed ; instead of 

 being hastened their development will be arrested, and the fruits will most 

 probably be spoilt. 



Leave the plants in the cool house for a few days after all the tiny 

 pistils show by turning colour that they have been fertilised ; it is far pre- 



