303 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 16, 1865. 
up large spikes of bloom until late in the autumn. They are propagated 
either by seeds or cuttings, but the latter is the plan to adopt when 
separate colours are required. Cuttings can be struck at any time of the 
year, but about the end of August is most suitable. Plants struck at this 
time will produce strong plants for bedding in spring. Young shoots 
from the main stem of the plant are most suitable for this purpose. The 
softer the wood the more readily do they root. They should be inserted 
in pots filled with light sandy soil, and placed in a cold frame, which 
must be kept closed and shaded from the sun until rooted. When this 
has taken place admit plenty of air so as to harden them for the winter. 
Plants that have stood thoroughly exposed through the summer will 
often live through the winter unprotected, but it will be found the wiser 
plan to take cuttings as indicated above, or to pot some of the old plants 
and place them in a gentle heat, when they will furnish plenty of cuttings, 
which, if taken early, will make good plants by bedding-out time. They 
are easily raised from seed, which should be sown early in spring in 
shallow boxes or seed pans placed in a gentle heat, where the seed will 
soon germinate. When the seedlings are large enough prick them into 
other boxes, and return into heat, where they will soon make strong 
plants.—A. Anderson, Lea Wood. 
NOTES ON STRAWBERRIES. 
Many years ago I saw at Welbeck, Notts, in the second week in 
March, a row of ripe Strawberries about 30 yards long. It was a pretty 
sight, as all the fruits—about seven on each plant—were ripe and of 
even size, which proved that they must have set well and rapidly. There 
is considerable advantage in having all the fruits in the same stage of 
development, as they can be more favourably treated than when some 
are ripe and the others half swelled on the same plant, as we frequently 
see them. If we apply liquid manure to Strawberries when colouring 
we impair the flavour, and if we withhold it from those swelling we 
diminish their size. Mr. Tillery, who was gardener at Welbeck at 
the time, informed me that the variety was Prince of Wales, which, 
strange to say, I have no recollection of seeing or hearing of since. 
This has induced me to relate the circumstance in the hope that some 
of your readers may know the variety. My impression is that the 
fruit was not quite so large as a full-sized Keens’ Seedling, but, unlike 
that variety, there was not a number of small ones on the plants. 
Mr. Inglis states at page 269 that the temperature for Strawberries 
in flower should not exceed 50° at night, and this is acknowledged by 
most gardeners as the maximum. I have, however, proved that a varia¬ 
tion of 5° or 10° of temperature is not of such importance as the state of 
the atmosphere, and some of our earliest Strawberries this season were 
subject to a temperature of 65° at night. We commenced gathering from 
that batch on the 3rd of March, the varieties being Keens’ Seedling and 
La Grosse Sucree. Anticipating a demand for three dishes of three- 
quarters of a pound each for the last week in that month, I was anxious 
to have President and Sir J. Paxton ready, and as soon as a few flowers 
were fully expanded the plants were moved to a temperature of 65° to 
70° at night. They soon set, and were ready almost to a day; had they 
been two days later their value would have been lost. Yicomtesse 
Hericart de Thury has been a favourite of mine for early forcing on 
account of its free setting and the brightness of the fruits. Last year 
many of the plants failed to flower, so only a few were grown this 
season, and if anything they were worse still, whilst the failures in 
Keen’s Seedling and La Grosse Sucree would not be 10 per cent. We 
have no difficulty in setting them if we only can get the flowers up. 
I am like Mr. Inglis respecting the presence of Strawberries in 
vineries. They create no terror in my breast provided we can confine 
them to those structures from the start to the finish. We annually pass 
800 pots of them through our vineries without being troubled much with 
red spider. Plenty of water at the root, the moist atmosphere of a vinery, 
and the free use of the syringe are inimical to red spider.—W. P. R. 
IN THE GARDEN. 
The Shelled Slug- ( Testacella, haliotidea ).—This curious and 
interesting creature is resuming activity ; I recently saw some fine 
examples of it early in the morning. The majority of gardeners are 
unacquainted with it, and young men should have its value impressed 
upon them, for without doubt it is most serviceable in the garden, 
living entirely upon worms. Without close investigation it is so 
liable to get killed, but the small shell upon the tail should save it 
from such an end. It is considered comparatively scarce, but this is 
due I think to the fact that it travels by night and retires beneath 
the surface early in the morning, thus escaping the attention of the 
majority of mollusca collectors. I have found it in several counties, 
varying considerably in size and colour. The typical form is un¬ 
doubtedly rare, but two of the varieties are rather common. These 
few remarks are penned to reach through the Journal a wide circle of 
readers, with the hope that due respect will be paid to my friend the 
Testacella. 
Daffodils. —These charming plants are again unfolding to us 
their beauties. The first that expanded with me was Barr's or 
Parkinson’s pallidus praecox, a lovely form of our common wild 
Daffodil ; N. pseudo-Narcissus (the perianth and trumpet opens a 
ich sulphur, fading to nearly white) ; next in order was N. minimus, 
a tiny gem, nodding its trumpet to the earth, braving the shrivelling 
winds of February and March with impunity. It is never more than 
tiny in comparison to the big trumpets, but it varies in size under 
different conditions ; for example, the flowers upon a tuft planted 
nearly three years since are appreciably larger than those upon bulbs 
put in last autumn, yet I am sure they are both N. minimus, gradually 
advancing to the true N. minor. Then came the Tenby Daffodil 
(N. obvallaris), with its beautifully formed golden yellow flower, the 
trumpet being much longer than the perianth divisions- I cannot 
regard this as a self-coloured flower, for the outer divisions are 
decidedly paler than the trumpet. This is one of the best varieties 
for general planting, as it comes in very early, and is so useful for 
cutting. Following these is N. princeps from Ireland, elegant in 
form and colouring, with its long rather slender trumpet of a deep 
yellow, and sulphur perianth segments. Double varieties, which are 
usually named forms of N. Telamonius, are also in flower, but to me 
these double Daffodils are in great confusion. If that usually known 
as Double Telamonius is really a duplex form of that variety why is 
it so much earlier in flowering than its single progenitor ? I will 
say no more of double Daffodils now, or I may get mixed, as many 
of my confreres are, I fear; nevertheless, the outcome will, I trust, 
be advantageous to all ; it is a most interesting subject. N. nanus 
is also in flower, the trumpet deep yellow, the perianth divisions pale 
sulphur, varying much in width, but always pale-coloured, at once a 
distinguishing mark from minor, but for which in many cases it is 
sent. One batch now flowering was sent to me as N. minor ; this is 
much to be regretted. All bulbs should be proven by our large dealers 
before they are sent out unless they are received from an undoubted 
authoritju 
I will end my notes upon Daffodils by saying that N. moschatus 
is just expanding, or it may be N. cernuus, for I confess to my in¬ 
ability to distinguish between most of the white Daffodils. In looking 
through Loudon’s “ Hortus Britannicus ” I came upon an interesting 
note (page 650) anent this variety. It is an extract from a letter 
received by Loudon from Rev. T. W. Bree, Allesley Rectory, near 
Coventry. It says : “ N. moschatus has been found wild in the 
adjoining parish of Meriden, and communicated to me by its discoverer 
Miss Gresley of that place. It is quite a new plant to the British 
flora I believe, and you may announce it as such if you like. Poor 
Haworth would have jumped for joy at the intelligence had he still 
been among us.” Of course this find was only an escape from some 
garden, or the place where it was found might at some time have 
been a garden. I should be glad if some reader in the neighbour¬ 
hood can tell us whether N. moschatus still occurs there in a semi¬ 
wild condition. I anticipate the answer. 
Double Flowers. —Referring to the cause of this in Daffodils 
one is much perplexed, especially considering the only available 
evidence forthcoming. Morphological study may assist us in arriving 
at a conclusion, but I doubt its value very much. There is plenty of 
work for those who wish. At this juncture it may be interesting to 
quote some remarks made by John Evelyn in his “ Gardener’s 
Almanac,” published 1691. At page 41 he says, “ Let gentlemen and 
ladies who are curious trust little by mangonisme, insuccations, or 
medicine to alter the species, or indeed the forms and shapes of 
flowers considerably—that is, to render that double which Nature pro¬ 
duces but single, &c., but by frequent transplanting, removing, en¬ 
riching the mould to multiply and double, and by starving and 
hardening the earth and consequently taking from the roote the freer 
nourishment for variation and change. Make much of this docu¬ 
ment.” 1 will ask the reader to digest Evelyn’s advice. 
Puschkinia scilloides. —A little gem now in flower, quite un¬ 
protected. Each blossom is about three-quarters of an inch across, 
with a French white ground colour. Each intended division of the 
perianth has a blue line, thus forming a pretty contrast. P. libanotica 
is a strong-growing variety, bearing more flowers on the spikes, and 
the lines on the perianth are greenish blue, but there is not enough 
difference to enable it to stand in specific rank. They should both 
be planted in a well-drained sunny position, so that the bulbs are 
kept warm and free from stagnant moisture, or they will certainly 
rot. A riddle suggests itself. May not Chionodoxa Lucilise be the 
offspring of this plant and Scilla bifolia ? 
Snow Glory (Chionodoxa Luciliae).—I am more than ever struck 
with the modest loveliness of this harbinger of spring. Bulbs which 
have now been planted three seasons are aglow, strong racemes 
being produced, with from ten to thirteen flowers upon each ; and as 
the bulbs were thickly planted they are especially appreciated, because 
a good mass of colour greets us regardless of sunless days and biting 
winds. How it varies in size, colour, and form—it is by no means in 
a complete condition—some are very pale, small, with narrow seg¬ 
ments, while others are large, brilliant blue, with pure white centres ; 
others again as near seifs as can be, usually of a porcelain blue. In 
its beet form I should never like to be without it. 
Mttscari lingulata. —This has been one of my garden delights 
