234 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



pots 1 inch larger are to be recommended. In the smaller 

 size, when forced early they throw up their bloom-stalks 

 more strongly, set better, and yield as large fruit as in 

 larger sizes. The larger size is better later in the season, 

 when the plants recLuire much more attention in water- 

 ing. I have tried experiments by selecting some of the 

 very finest plants and shifting them into 8-inch pots, but 

 the result was never satisfactory. Tor any plant to 

 force well, it is of the first importance to have the pot 

 thoroughly fiUed with roots ; and in larger pots than 

 those recommended, this condition is more difficult of 

 attainment. The pots should either be new from the 

 pottery, or thoroughly washed and dry. And they 

 should be carefully crocked ; for although the strawberry 

 requires much moisture, it never thrives in a soured soil 

 or with stagnant water. There should be an inch of 

 small crocks in the bottom of the pots, and over all a 

 little of the fibry part of the soil. 



The selection of soil with which to pot or shift into 

 the fruiting-pots is of much importance. Presuming 

 that one-third of the plants are to be put into 5-inch 

 pots for early forcing, choose for them a friable hazelly 

 loam, and mix with every three barrow-loads of it one 

 of thoroughly-decomposed manure, consisting of an old 

 hotbed or mushroom-bed in a dry state, and sifted 

 through a J-inch sieve, so that it can be well incorpor- 

 ated with the loam. To eA'^ery four barrow-loads of this 

 add an 8-inch potful of bone-meal ; mix the whole well ; 

 and instead of removing any of the fibry part of the loam, 

 grind every morsel of it through a f -inch sieve, as large 

 lumps of it become inconvenient in shifting into such 

 small pots ; moreover, the fibre gets more completely 

 equalised and incorporated with the general compost 



