so 



PHOCKKDI N(;S OF THK 



fxcopt in sun^llint*, aiul the Hoors arc kept saturated with 

 ni(»isturc, with, at all possible opportunities, abuiulance of air. 

 As to settint; the blossoms. I endeavour to get the house up to 

 70" nrlilicial heat from daylight until near noon, by whieli time 1 

 have a perfectly dry atmosjjhere, and the farina in a most subtle 

 state. I tlu'M oj)en the sashes front and back, and obtain a 

 lively ( irculation of air for an hour or so, I tiien take all the 

 air away, and towards three or four o'clock syringe them over 

 bead, and water the floors and Hues for tlie ni^ht. 'J'he next 

 part of tlie j)rocess is thinnini; out the berries when they bea;in to 

 swell olV; my crops set so abundantly by the above method that 

 I am compelled to thin away at least one-half with the scissors. 

 I leave from 14 to 20 berries on each pot, and immediately this 

 thinninti; is completed, I increase my heat to 70" by day and 

 GO" by nii:;ht, shutting up the house on sunny days as h\^h as 

 90'\ with heavy syrin^inj^ and floors saturated with wet. 1 use 

 li(piid manure from the time the lirst flower opens imtil the fruit 

 turns colour, diluting it with one-half clean water in a tepid 

 state, observini; to use clean water alternately with dung water, 

 as I Hnd by experience that this is absolutely necessary at all 

 times, or stagnation ensues ; and I may here observe, that this is 

 the reason why as I think many are deceived in their expecta- 

 tions with regard to liquid manure. When my strawberries are 

 ripening I withold water almost entirely, more especially for 

 many hours previous to each gathering, observing to give 

 abundance of air by day, and if possible a little at night, as on 

 this their flavour most materially depends. When they begin to 

 colour 1 lower the temperature of the houses, as the slower 

 they ripen the finer the fruit will be, and the richer the flavour, 

 taking care however not to starve them. 



" Those who have not been accustofned to this mode may pro- 

 bably be prejudiced at the appearance of so much care and 

 trouble. I can assure them, however, that it is not so trouble- 

 some as it appears at first sight, it is only observing the proper 

 times of conducting the different processes, which, if attended 

 to, will infallibly produce abundant crops of unusually large 

 strawberries. Of course no red spider or aphides are allowed to 

 rest a day on the plants, one complete fumigating and a day's 

 sulphuring, when the blossoms of the earhest crop are rising, is all 

 the care I take in this respect ; and this carries me through the 

 strawberry season. I send herewith a dozen specimens gathered 

 from my second crop. 



" I have two houses in which I grow them, each 30 feet long, 

 they are placed on aback shelf close to the roof -, each house 

 holds 32 pots, heated by hot water, and the roof is metallic. 



" One fire heats three 30 feet long houses, whose bases re- 

 5pectively are 18 feet, 16 feet, and 14 feet in width ; they were 

 built and heated by Mr. J. Jones of Birmingham. 



