1863.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
J75 
years since determined me to have a bed of 
strawberries. I immediately set a bed 30 feet 
long by 7 feet wide, with Early Virginia Scarlet 
(which I consider a humbug), Cutter's Seedling, 
and Dunce's Seedling, and kept them in rows, 
with no runners. I manure in early Spring, and 
after the crop is githered, with Coe's Super- 
phosphate. Last year I picked 50 quarts of 
berries, and the same this season, though the 
dry -weather diminished my crop at least one 
half. I counted 180 berries on a single stool 
of the Dunce variety, and many other plants 
were equally loaded." 
Starting Strawberries in Pots. 
— • 
Strawberry plants, if well rooted in pots in 
July or August, may be put out in beds any 
time before the ground freezes and produce a 
fair crop the following season ; the earlier they 
are put out, the better of course, as it gives a 
longer time for the plants to grow, and form 
large crowns, which will throw out a number 
of fruit stalks the next season. One advantage 
of setting out plants rooted in pots is, that they 
rarely ever fail to grow, and consequently need 
not to be replanted, which involves considerable 
time lost in the actual growth of the plant, 
besides the trouble of replanting, watering, etc. 
Another object gained is, that they rapidly ad- 
vance in growth, and are not put back by trans- 
planting, which is always the case with those 
planted in the ordinary way; nor are they so 
much affected by drouth. The greatest ad- 
vantage is, that while those planted in the 
ordinary way produce little fruit the next season, 
except under very favorable circumstances, 
those in pots yield a fair crop, and more than 
repay the extra labor in the greater amount of 
fruit. Mr. C. S. Pell, of the N. Y. Orphan Asy- 
lum, starts strawberries in pots very successful- 
ly. He takes three inch pots, fills them with good 
soil, and places them in the strawberry bed- 
one under each joint on the runners — and small 
stones are put on to bold them in place. The 
earth in the pots is well watered and in about 
three weeks he has strong, well rooted plants, 
which may be turned out into the ground with- 
out checking the growth. If the pots are sunk 
in the soil of the bed, the earth will not dry out 
so fast and less water will be required. This 
plan offers many advantages to amateurs and 
cultivators on the small scale, or for home use. 
Protect the Fall Flowers. 
It is often trying to one's patience to have the 
frosts come and smite our splendid collections 
of flowers in the very hight of their glory. In 
many cases, as with the Asters, Stocks, Ealsams 
and Dahlias, we have watched and nursed them 
all Summer, and now, just as our care is begin- 
ning to be rewarded, suddenly, in a single night, 
the destroyer comes and blasts all our hopes ! 
Last Fall, the writer tried an experiment to pro- 
tect flowers several weeks, and succeeded so 
well that he is moved to speak about it. Just 
before frosts were expected, we provided a few 
light mats, made of sacking, and by driving 
down several stout stakes at the corners and 
middle of each bed, were enabled to suspend 
them over the flowers without crushing them. 
Every observer must have noticed that we 
usually have a few sharp frosts early in Autumn, 
cutting down all tender things, and then that 
this is followed by several weeks of warm weath- 
er. Whatever plants go through the first frosts 
unharmed, bloom finely for quite a period after- 
ward. The use of these mats or something of 
the kind, answers this very end. It takes only 
a few" minutes at night to spread the mats in 
their place, and a few in the morning to lay them 
aside. But were the labor much greater, the 
result would amply repay it. — Agriculturist. 
Seed Saving. 
This is the month in which much of this is 
to be done, both in the Kitchen and Flower 
Garden. We have frequently impressed upon 
our readers the importance of saving the very 
earliest and very best of every variety for seed. 
Do not pick all the best Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, 
Melons, etc., for the table, and take seeds for the 
next crop from what is left. If this be done, 
we shall have more complaints about sorts 
running out; they will run out if you help them 
to do so, but will hold good and even improve 
if proper care is exercised in seed saving, We 
know of one variety of Sweet Corn which has 
been kept in the same family for thirty years 
without " running out." Some flower seeds 
require much care to save them. If seeds from 
Pansy and Phlox are left until the pods are 
quite ripe, they will all be lost by the bursting 
of the pods. With plants having seed vessels 
of this kind, the best way is to pick the flower 
stems when the seeds are fully formed, but not 
ripe enough to burst. Placed in a box or on a 
large sheet of paper in a dry room, they will 
fully mature, and the seeds may be secured. 
Fuchsias in Winter. 
A lady subscriber wishes to know why her 
Fuchsias do not bloom in Winter. The reason 
is, that it is a summer blooming plant, and they 
flower so profusely in Summer, that they need 
a long season of rest. A Fuchsia may be kept 
during the Winter and an occasional flower be 
produced, but there are so many freer blooming 
house plants that it is altogether better to use 
the Fuchsia as a summer bloomer and give it 
rest during the Winter. With a green house, 
young plants can be grown so as to bloom in 
Winter, but for parlor culture it is best to keep 
the plants in a state of rest from Fall until early 
Spring. Then they may be pruned into shape, 
aud brought forward to flower during late 
Spring and Summer. They do capitally as bed- 
ding plants, provided they get a partial shade. 
Among the new varieties we have found the 
Comet one of the most valuable. 
Prepare for Spring Flowers. 
* — 
Nothing gives more gratification than the 
early flowering spring bulbs. These are usually 
classed under the general term of " Dutch 
Bulbs," for the reason that they are largely 
grown in Holland, whole farms being devoted 
to their culture. This class of plants comprises 
the Hyacinth, Tulip, Crocus, Narcissus, and nu- 
merous others. Dealers are already out with 
their catalogues for the Fall trade, and it will 
soon be time for our readers, who intend to 
plant bulbs, to prepare their ground and select 
their varieties. If we could have but one spring 
flower it would be the Hyacinth, so charming 
in both color and fragrance. To those who can 
procure them, we say, make a bed of Hyacinths 
this Fall. A single one, if no more can be 
had, will be a charming thing in the garden next 
Spring, but a bed of them is a mass of sweetness 
and beauty good enough for any one poor mor- 
tal to possess. This last Spring we saw upon 
the grounds of Mr. Buchanan, at Astoria, a bed 
about 8 feet wide and 20 feet long, filled with 
gorgeous blooms of every shade of color. It 
was certainly worth going far to see. 
Then there are Tulips, less sweet and more 
gay, and Crocusses which so early in Spring lift 
up their spires of tender green, and then, before 
we are aware of it, throw out their delicate 
flowers. Snow Drops, Ixias, the various Lilies, 
the stately Crown Imperial, and many others, 
all come under the head of "bulbs," and are to 
be planted in the Fall. A rather sandy piece of 
ground does best, which should be enriched by 
spading in well-rotted manure. The bulbs 
should be planted in October, rather deeply, 
Hyacinths and other large bulbs should be put 
at least 3 inches deep, and two inches is little 
enough for Crocuses and other small bulbs. In 
planting, if the colors of the flowers are known, 
very pleasing effects may be produced by mak- 
ing contrasts of color. Before the ground is 
frozen, cover the bed with a good coating of sta- 
ble manure, — no matter if it is coarse. When 
Spring fairly opens, the manure may be raked 
off. The bulbs will live year after year, but 
better flowers will be produced if they are taken 
up every season after the leaves wither, and al- 
lowed to dry until the proper season for setting 
them out. Most of the bulbs produce a better 
effect when grown in masses than when scat- 
tered through the borders. 
Living Window Screens. 
Amass of green foliage makes a prettier win- 
dow screen than ; M|y of the costly curtain ma- 
terials, or those gaily and coarsely painted shades 
used very generally throughout the country. 
Whether seen from within or without, they are 
always in good taste, and lend beauty to the 
most costly dwelling, and give an air of refine- 
ment to the humblest one. The plant best 
fitted for this purpose is the European Ivj'. It 
is an evergreen with rich dark foliage, grows 
with tolerable rapidity, and is perfectly hardy. 
Wherever Ivy is grown out of doors, natural 
layers may be found already rooted, or it may 
be readily started from cuttings. It needs a 
good rich soil and plenty of moisture, but the 
pot should be well drained. A good way is to 
fit a moveable shelf to the window sill, and erect 
upon that a trellis of sticks and wire of such 
size and shape as suit the fancy. One or two 
pots of Ivy may be placed upon the shelf and 
the vines trained to the trellis ; this will allow 
the whole to be moved as occasion may require 
and it may be placed out of doors during Sum- 
mer. If placed at a window where the sun is 
too hot, a simple screen of muslin may be let 
down between the plant and the glass during 
the middle of the day. An ornament of this 
kind costs but little, will last for years, and al- 
ways be beautiful, A broad leaved variety of 
Ivy, called Roegneriana, is one of the best for 
this purpose. A plant is very commonly used 
around New-York as a window plant under 
the names of Mexican and German Ivy. It is 
not an Ivy, but is a climbing species of Ground- 
sel (Senecio mikanoides), and every way adapted 
for forming window screens. It is of very ram- 
pant growth, and needs frequent pinchii'g to 
keep it within bounds. It roots with the great- 
est ease — any piece of stem with a leaf to it 
will make a plant. Unfortunately it is not gen- 
erally distributed, but it may be had at the city 
green houses, and must soon be widely diffusecfj 
