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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



an inch of crocks. Place over these some kind of loose material, 

 such as a little moss or the most fibrous part of loam, to pre- 

 vent the soil going amongst the drainage, and on this shake 

 a little soot. This is a good preventive against worms entering 

 the pots. The soil should be in a medium state of moisture, 

 neither wet nor dry. It is better to err on the side of dryness. 

 It may be evenly rammed into the pots, as hard as one can fairly 

 do it with a potting-stick, to within one inch of the rim, so as 

 to leave space for water. 



The runners may be placed on the pots and pegged down 

 with pegs made from old brooms or from the trimmings of pea- 

 sticks. In line weather they may be slightly watered in the 

 afternoon, to encourage them to make roots ; but on no account 

 should they be watered unless the soil is dry on the surface, as 

 there is great danger in soddening the soil with over-watering — 

 indeed, there is danger of the soil being over-watered with heavy 

 rains — before the runners are rooted. In four weeks the roots 

 will have reached the sides of the pots in sufficient numbers to 

 support them, when they may be cut from the parent plants and 

 placed in an open space, on a firm bottom, with sufficient space 

 between the plants to allow them to grow. From this time 

 until the growth is finished they must be examined on fine days 

 for water. 



The runners of succession kinds I like to place on 60's 

 (3-inch pots). As soon as the roots reach the sides they should 

 be potted into 82's (6-inch pots) and placed in a similar position 

 as recommended for those laid on 48's, and receive the same 

 attention as to watering. A good hard syringing on fine evenings 

 does them a great deal of good. If it is directed to the under- 

 side of the leaves it prevents and washes off mildew. 



When the plants are growing freely the crowns multiply ; 

 one or two strong ones are better than more. To regulate this 

 the plants should be looked over every week, and the small 

 crowns and runners taken off. 



By the 1st of November growth will be completed ; the 

 crowns should be prominent and firm, and the pots filled with 

 roots containing stored-up sap, ready to support growth when 

 excited by heat. The plants having finished growth, they should 

 be placed in their winter quarters. I believe many failures occur 

 through Strawberry plants being kept too dry at the roots and 



