Jan.] 



THE lOnCING GARDEN. 



613 



into fruit at a more reasonable season, should, after the crop 

 is gathored, be carefully taken out of the pots, and plunged, 

 with their ball entire about their roots, in a sheltered border, 

 where they will, particularly the Roseberry, Grove End, and 

 common Scarlet, produce a good crop in the September follow- 

 ing, when other strawberries are scarce. The rains of the 

 latter end of July, and beginning of August, are extremely 

 favorable for the gi'owth of the fruit, which cannot fail to be 

 an acceptable addition to the Alpine, which is the only straw- 

 berry in fruit at that time. Where provision has not been 

 made, by potting a sufficient number of young plants, then re- 

 course must be had to such as are older. In this case, young 

 plants established in the open ground, during the previous 

 season, may be carefully taken up in autumn with good balls, 

 and potted in pots of dimensions suitable to the sizes of the 

 plants, and, after being well watered, may be kept in reserve 

 for removing into the forcing departments when wanted ; but 

 in this case, it will be attended with more success, if they be 

 not brought into vegetation till March, or, at all events, the 

 middle of February. 



To prolong the season of this fruit as much as possible, a 

 variety of sorts should be potted at different times, and plunged 

 in different situations, and as they begin to show a disposition 

 to bloom, should be picked out and removed to temperatures 

 agreeably to their habits and state of growth. By such means, 

 where there are many forcing departments, this useful fruit may 

 be had at all seasons of the year. The Alpines appear best 

 suited for a late crop in a cold shaded situation in autumn, and 

 are amongst the best for bringing into a state of vegetation 

 earliest in the hot-houses or pits. The Scarlets are found to 

 bear a greater degree of heat than any other, but do not set 

 their fruit so freely in the short and cloudy days of winter as 

 the Alpine. 



The soil in which strawberries to be forced seem to thrive 

 best, is a strong and very rich loam, well manured with rotten 

 dung, and, in potting them, to place two inches of rotten dung 

 in the bottom of the pots. 



