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OX THE MANAGEMENT OF STRAWBERRIES FOR FORCING. 
When treating of pendulous training, we omitted to mention the good effects of it on a number 
of fruit trees at Spring grove, then the seat of Sir Joseph Banks. It was here, if we mistake not, that 
we first saw it adopted as a system, under the personal direction of that talented and erudite philoso- 
pher. His trees were trained up one side of a wall, over the coping, and down the other. 
ON THE MANAGEMENT OF STEAWEEEEIES FOE FOECTNG. 
By Jin. J. L. Middlemiss, Gardener, Bentham Hill, Tonbreoge 'Wells. 
7TUIOSE plants which have been forced and planted out in a piece of good ground will furnish the 
IX best runners for forcing purposes. These runners should be layered into the fruiting pots early 
in July, in order to secure well ripened large plants before the end of October. The soil best 
suited for Strawberries in pots is composed in the proportions of three barrow-loads of good fresh fibrv 
loam, two barrowfuls of leaf-mould, and in the absence of a barrow load of thoroughly rotten cowduug, 
two barrow-loads of Mushroom bed dung, a barrow-load of sand, if the loam be not of a sandy nature, 
and a few handfuls of soot, all well mixed together. The pots should be well drained, and a handful 
of soot put over the drainage. The soil should be made pretty firm by rapping the bottom of the pots 
on a piece of board, which should be lying near for the purpose (mother earth being the potting bench 
when Strawberry pots are to be filled), keeping the thumb of each hand on the surface of the soil, to 
prevent it jumping up and allowing the drainage to be displaced. I once called at Mr. Eivers's, when 
they were filling their Strawberry pots, and they were actually beating the soil into the pots, making 
it almost as hard as a road. I have some, to me conclusive, experiments on this plan of consolidating 
the soil for such things as Wheat, Barley, Oats, Turnips, Potatoes, Onions, &c. ; but for the present I 
will only state that it is a good plan to make the soil in Strawberry pots very firm. 
In laying the runners, if any of them have struck root, care should be taken not to break the roots 
in taking them up. The roots should be spread over the soil in the pot, not pushed into a hole in the 
middle, and a little loose earth put over them, and a stone placed behind the runner to prevent the 
wind blowing it about. The runner next the plant only should be chosen, and any runners beyond 
this should be pinched off. As soon as they are fairly rooted they should be separated from the parent 
plant and removed to a rather shady situation (or placed where they can be shaded) for a week or so, 
till they get over the check they are sure to sustain, when they may be removed to a situation fully 
exposed to the sun. This is of the utmost importance, as the production of fine trusses of fruit 
depends very much upon the crowns being well ripened. The pots should not be plunged but set 
on a bed of ashes, and a board set on edge in front of the front row to prevent the sun burning the 
roots through the pots, the other rows shading each other. Plenty of water must now be given, never 
allowing a single plant to flag. 
As soon as there is any danger of frost they should be removed to their winter quarters. If room 
can be spared they are best placed in low span-roofed pits, where they are to be forced, the pits being 
divided into compartments of about three lights each ; one part of which being kept closer than the others 
would prepare the plants for an early start, and they would want but very little heat to bring them 
into flower. I consider the Strawberry worthy of a pit for itself, and were it convenient to have such 
they would be found very useful for late Cucumber and Melon crops afterwards. But as it is only in 
a veiyfew places that pit room can be spared to stow them till wanted, temporary pits may be made 
out of any old slabs, say two feet high at back, and eighteen inches in front, the pots to be plunged up to 
the rim in rough ashes, and to be covered over with wooden shutters when there is any danger of frost 
or rain. They will not want any water now, but must not by any means be covered in fine weather. 
These temporary pits may be made so that they shall not disfigure any part of the garden (which might 
cause them to be placed in any out of the way back locality, where the sun can never reach them), by 
laying turf about six inches wide, and building it uj> to the top all round. Tliis also effectually 
protects from frost. 
Great care must be used when the plants are removed to their forcing quarters, very little heat 
being required to start them into growth. It is hardly possible to give rules for guidance as regards 
I lie temperature; we must be guided much by changes in the weather. They should, however, be very 
gradually brought on. The temperature at first should not be higher than from 4(5' to 4S 3 , unless l>y 
Min heat ; rising gradually, as the plants advance, to from 58° to 6(>\ Where it is convenient they would 
be much benefited by being plunged in a slight bottom heat, keeping the plants cool at the top to get 
the roots in motion first. They should at all times have a free supply of air, more especially 
when they are blooming, and the atmosphere must then be kept (by to secure their setting freely. 
