AUTUMN-FRUITING RASPBERRIES AND STRAWBERRIES. 405 



had without any difficulty whatever from about June 20 until the third 

 week in October, or over a period of about four months. 



Varieties. — The best to grow of the Alpine Strawberries are ' Rouge 

 Ameliore,' or ' Improved Red,' which produces elongated fruits of a bright 

 colour ; 1 Sutton's Improved Red ' which is somewhat similar and of robust 

 growth ; ' Belle de Meaux,' which has darker- coloured and rotund fruits, and 

 the 1 Improved White,' which should be grown for the sake of its colour. 

 All are equally fruitful and also of high flavour. In gathering the fruits 

 we pick straight away into small fancy baskets, which then go upon the 

 table as they are ; or, if for travelling, into small square baskets or punnets, 

 which are then packed into boxes. When picking for the former purpose 

 no stems are taken with them. No plants are fruited after the second 

 year's crop is taken. We grow about a thousand from seed every year. 



2. Perpetual- fruiting Strawberries. — These are the result of crossing 

 the Alpine with the summer-fruiting varieties. They are very useful 

 indeed for autumn cropping, being reliable even under such seasons as 

 the present, but are a degree later in arriving at maturity. The best 

 position for them is a warm border where all the sunshine during the 

 autumn can benefit them. Our plan is to pick off all the early or first 

 crop of flower-trusses, in order to concentrate the vigour of the plant 

 upon the secondary growth and the spikes that succeed the same. In 

 this way I find that we gain something in point of time and likewise in 

 the crop. This season, for instance, the first fruits of ' St. Joseph ' were 

 ripening the third week in August — these came in extremely useful for 

 kitchen use. Part of the stock of these Strawberries is grown in pots in 

 order to extend the season until the end of October and sometimes into 

 November. The runners to provide this crop are layered right away in- 

 to 48-size pots as soon as we can secure them. I like to see them 

 all layered by the middle of July, and well rooted by the end of the 

 month. By the middle of August, or thereabouts, they will be fit to take 

 off, and by the end of the month the first flower-trusses will be showing, 

 so precocious are these young plants. A light sunny position should be 

 given this stock whilst still out of doors. The earliest will be fit to 

 house by the middle of September. In doing this, the better plan is to 

 make a selection of the forwardest plants. Give them at once positions 

 near the glass, on shelves if possible, as with the spring-fruiting stock. 

 Later batches can be brought in as may be desirable, but it will be found 

 the better plan to house all that are showing flower by the first week in 

 October. A freely ventilated house is the best place for them, no 

 artificial warmth being needed until October is well advanced. By using 

 the syringe freely, there should not be any fear of the red spider. As 

 these plants go out of bearing, they are set aside for the next season's 

 crop in the open border, being planted out as soon as convenient. It is 

 not expedient on the whole to save the old stools over for the second 

 season's crop in the open. It may be done—in fact we have them still at 

 Gunnersbury in good bearing, October 13. These plants are put out at 

 about 2 feet each way. In wet seasons like the present, we find a great 

 benefit by using bell-glasses to cover the plants. (The cloches of the French 

 growers are what we use ; these in the spring cover the earlier crops of 

 Lettuce, and in two seasons will well repay their initial cost.) These 



