90 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



moist, answers well for soil. The pots should be covered with a 

 pane of glass, and plunged in a bed where they will have a 

 steady bottom-heat of from 70° to 75°. They should be kept 

 as near the glass as possible to prevent them being drawn 

 up ; and the great aim being to get sturdy plants to start 

 with, the temperature of the pit should be, according to the 

 weather, 65° to 70° at night, and 75° by day when it is dull, 

 but when the sun is out it may be allowed to go up to 85° 

 with a little ventilation, but avoid letting cold draughts in 

 upon them, as it gives them a check from which they seldom 

 really recover. Shift them into 5-inch pots before they get 

 pot-bound, and stake them carefully. 



It is a good plan to grow the earliest crop entirely in pots, as 

 they ripen quicker so than when planted out, and two good 

 fruits may be had from a 12-inch pot. When ready for another 

 shift put them into the fruiting pots, making them about three 

 parts full, and potting pretty firmly ; and as the roots come to 

 the surface keep adding more soil till within two inches of the 

 top. Thus early in the year (March) they will not require so 

 much moisture as the later crops when the sun is more powerful. 

 Sometimes the stem will canker just above the surface of the soil ; 

 and as soon as there is the least appearance of this, a mound of 

 charcoal dust should be put round the stem, and when giving 

 water care should be taken to wet the stem as little as possible. 

 When enough bloom shows for a crop, keep the atmosphere of 

 the pit drier, with a circulation of warm air over the plants, and 

 about mid-day, when the pollen is dry, carefully fertilise the 

 female flowers. When the fruit is seen to be fairly started top- 

 dress the soil with Thomson's manure, and water alternately 

 with rain-water and liquid manure from the stable-yard. Never 

 use cold water at any time, but let it always be 5° warmer 

 than the soil in which the plants are growing ; and when earth- 

 ing the beds up, always warm the fresh soil before putting any 

 of it on. All blooms, male and female, should now be taken off 

 as fast as they appear, as they have a tendency to weaken the 

 plant, and the greatest care should be taken at all times to pre- 

 serve the foliage. Stop the fruit-bearing growths one joint above 

 the fruit, and remove all superfluous laterals. When the fruit 

 gets towards the ripening stage, give only clear rain-water, and 

 no more should be given than is required to keep the leaves 



