842 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 1, 1884. 
health for several years, but ultimately were damaged by a “ drip” from the 
roof of the house, and rapidly decayed, despite the care exercised to prevent 
it.—L. Castle. 
CULTURE OF STRAWBERRIES. 
Forced Plants. —In most forcing establishments a planting of 
forced Strawberry plants is annually made out of doors in a good 
well-prepared piece of ground in rows 2 feet apart and about the 
same distance between the rows, and an equal number of old plants 
destroyed as soon as the crop has been gathered from them. The 
earliest forced plants of Vieomtesse Hericart de Thury, having been 
properly hardened when removed from the forcing house, should now 
be turned out of their pots and the balls of earth and roots b9 slightly 
reduced, repotted in clean and properly crocked pots. They can then 
be plunged to the rim in a warm border, either in coal ashes or the 
ordinary soil, until the approach of frost, when they should be taken 
up, the pots washed and stood on the shelves in an airy house, where a 
little heat can be turned on when necessary to ripen the fruit. 
During the interval the soil should not be allowed to become dry, and 
a aprinkling over the foliage with the syringe in the evenings during 
hot weather will keep it fresh and clean. From the time the plants 
have set their fruits until these begin colouring liberal supplies of 
diluted liquid manure should be given to the roots when necessary, 
which wiil enable them to swell finer fruits than would otherwise be 
obtained. Plants thus treated will yield—according to the number— 
a good supply of fruits during September, October, and November, 
when they are much appreciated for dessert. 
In order to prolong the supply of ripe fruits, I should have 
remarked that it would be necessary to retard the fruiting of a 
portion of the plants, either by plunging them in a colder aspect or 
removing the first flower spikes they throw up after being plunged, as 
also the ripening of the fruit by keeping the plants in houses or pits 
of different temperatures. Having repotted the necessary number of 
plants for late autumn bearing, a planting of the same variety should 
then be made in a warm border, in rows as above recommended, for 
yielding a crop in August and the early part of September, as also for 
yielding early runuers for layering into the fruiting pots next year. 
The plants, having had a thorough watering at the roots the preceding 
afternoon, when turned out of the pots should have the crocks and 
any bad leaves that may be attached to them removed, and the balls 
of earth and roots loosened a little all round with a pointed stick 
before being planted. In planting the soil should be trodden firmly 
around the plants, and the latter in each succeeding row set diagonally 
to those in the preceding one, which will afford them more room to 
develope than when planted opposite. This being done, a surface 
dressing of short dung a couple of inches thick should be laid on 
between the rows and plants, which, in addition to stimulating growth 
in the plants by its virtues being washed down to the roots, will 
also preserve the latter in a moist growing state. 
The Main Planting. —This, consisting of such sterling varieties 
as La Grosse Sucree, Keens’ Seedling, Sir C. Napier, Sir J. Paxton, 
President, British Queen, and James Veitch, should be made in the 
way recommended above in a good open quarter of the garden, and 
if the soil be of a loamy nature, whi 'h the Strawberry delights in, 
the better will be the results. The planting should be done when the 
ground is moist; and, in order to concentrate the energy of the 
plants to the development and consolidation of crowns for next 
year’s produce, all runners and spikes emanating from them should be 
removed. As each variety is planted a long stout label bearing the 
name, number of rows, and date of planting, should be placed firmly 
in the ground at the end of the first row. When the plants have 
borne three crops of fruit they should be destrojmd, and the ground, 
■with the assistance of the crowbar, planted with Broccolis. Where 
forced Strawberry plants are not to be had runners of the respective 
varieties should be layered into 3 inch pots well filled with three parts 
good loam and one of horse droppings rubbed through a quarter-inch 
sieve, the points of these immediately beyond the miniature plants 
and all runners subsequently proceeding therefrom being removed. 
The plants, which during the interval must be kept well supplied 
with water at the roots, may be planted out in well-prepared ground 
before they become root-bound, choosing showery weather for the 
work. A planting of late-bearing varieties—such as Elton Pme and 
Oxonian—should also be made in a north border to supplement the 
supplies obtained from the earlier-bearing ones. 
Fruiting Period.—A s soon as the fruit begins colouring some 
clean straw should be placed between them and the ground to prevent 
the former being damaged by grit and damp. Failing straw long 
litter from the stables, which a few showers and exposure will 
deodorise, or short grass may be substituted. 
Autumn Treatment of Established Plants.—A s soon as the 
crop of fruit has been gathered, and the plants for forcing next year 
sufficiently established to be removed from the parent plants, all 
runners and dead leaves should be removed, and a good surface 
dressing of short dung laid on between the rows and plants. This 
will protect, as well as benefit, the roots which are near the surface 
from the effects of frost. The practice of digging between Straw¬ 
berry plants—happily now almost a thing of the past—cannot be too 
strongly condemned. The surface of the soil, however, may, with 
advantage to the plants, be loosened a little prior to the mulching 
being placed on. 
Preparing the Plants for Forcing. —The first step to be taken 
in this direction is to obtain the necessary number of 32 and.24-sized 
pots—only a small per-centage of the latter for late varieties—and 
well crock them by placing a large piece of crock over the hole m 
the bottom of the pots, then a couple of inches of two or three 
smaller sizes (the smallest pieces being placed on the top), over 
which sprinkle a handful of new soot, and over that a few rough 
pieces of loam or leaves. This being done, fill the pots to within an 
inch of the top with similar soil to that recommended for the 3-inch 
pots, ramming it in firmly together as the work proceeds. The pots 
should then be taken to the Strawberry quarter and placed so as to 
reduce the chances of the runners being displaced in the process of 
watering the plants and gathering the fruits to a minimum. The 
runners, as already stated, should be layered in the centre of the pots 
as soon as large enough to handle, and secured there by means of 
small crooks—one to each plant—sufficient of which should be made 
beforehand out of old besoms on wet days. The best runners should 
be selected, and the superfluous ones cut away as the work of 
layering proceeds. The plants thus layered should be watered every 
afternoon during bright weather ; this, in addition to keeping the 
surface of the soil moist (which is all that is needed until the roots 
have pushed into it), will keep the young plants clean and fresh. As 
soon as they have become sufficiently established to admit of their 
being severed from the parent plants they should be removed to a 
favourable situation, where they will be well exposed to the sun, and 
stood, not too closely together, on sifted coal ashes or on the brick 
■walls enclosing Vine borders. From this time until the plants have 
completed their growth they should have liberal supplies of diluted 
liquid manure or iveak guano water at the roots, and all runners and 
any small crowns that may proceed from the original and principal 
ones removed as soon as they appear. The pots should be plunged to 
the rim in coal ashes in a dry situation on the approach of frost, 
whence they can be taken to the potting-shed to be top-dressed, &c., 
and thence to the forcing departments as required.—H. W. Ward. 
VIOLETS. 
In answer to your correspondent “ E. P.” (page 324) I would advise 
him to treat his plants as recommended for frame cultivation during the 
summer, and in the autumn to lift and plant in boxes of convenient size, 
so that they can be elevated near the glass, where they will obtain the 
full benefit of the light, which is essential to the production of flowers 
during winter. I doubt if he will be successful in his open air cultivation 
if the climate is as he states it to be, unless he can obtain some frames to 
protect the plants during winter. Bell-glasses are unsuitable for that 
purpose, owing to the extremely varying temperatures the plants under 
them would be subject to. Your correspondent omits to state what 
variety he grows, and also if his neighbours experience the same difficulty 
as himself. I rather suspect that he has a worthless vaiiety.— Viola. 
THE CULTURE OF IMANTOPHYLLUM MINIATUM 
AND BEGONIA MANICATA. 
I think a collection of plants far from being complete 
without this beautiful greenhouse spring-flowering plant. 
We have a grand specimen of it in the Palm house here. 
Jt has been very attractive during the past month, and 
is now simply perfection. It is planted out in the border, 
and looks quite at home. The flower scapes are from 2 to 
3 feet in height, fourteen in number, and each supporting 
fifteeen to twenty of its beautiful vase-shaped, deep orange 
blossoms, which are valuable for bouquets and the decoration 
of the dinner table. Many amateurs are prevented from growing 
this plant, believing it can only be brought to perfection with a 
stove temperature, but I am confident it can be grown well in 
an intermediate house. The plant above mentioned has been 
growing in a temperature of 50° to 60°. We also grow a few 
plants for earlier flowering in pots, as they are readily forced 
into bloom. They are not so particular as to soil. They 
succeed well in two parts turfy loam, one part peat, one leaf 
mould, with a good sprinkling of half-inch bones and silver 
sand. They should be potted firmly, and require careful water¬ 
ing. They are easily increased after flowering by division, which 
I prefer to seed-raising. They are very ornamental even when 
out of flower; their long arching sheath-like leaves are of a bright 
green colour, and contrast well with other plants. Imanto- 
phyllum miniatum is a native of Africa, and many varieties 
