418 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 29, 1884. 
suit in another garden with different treatment and dis¬ 
similar soil.—W m. Bardney. 
OUTDOOR CULTIVATION OF THE STRAWBERRY. 
There is no doubt that many Strawberry plantations are relied on 
annually for the crop, when it ought not to be counted on as profitable 
for more than two or three years. As the time will soon arrive when 
there will be abundance of runners, it will not be inopportune to give 
a few notes regarding the outdoor cultivation of the Strawberry. 
Many gardeners make their new Strawberry plantations in the 
autumn, others leave it until the spring ; but we think a full crop 
ought to be procured the first season after planting. Therefore we 
will recommend the runners to be planted in their permanent quarters 
from the last week in July until the end of August. The sooner the 
runners are planted the stronger will be the plants, consequently there 
will be a larger crop of fruit. This system of Strawberry culture is 
well carried out by Mr. Douglas, Great Gearies, Ilford, and better 
results could not be obtained. Preparing the runners and preparing 
the ground for their reception ought to be attended to at about the 
same time, for as soon as the runners are well rooted they should be 
planted out. 
Preparing the Ground.— The ground should be well trenched 
to the depth of 30 inches, placing a good layer of decayed manure in 
4he bottom of the trench, and another layer within a foot of the 
surface. If the subsoil is not in very good condition it must not be 
brought to the surface, but be kept underneath. It must be well 
-vrorked up with some manure. After the ground has settled down it 
will be ready for the prepared runners. 
Preparing the Runners. —As soon as runners are obtainable 
-they should be layered into 60-size pots, filled with a compost of four 
parts loam and one part decayed manure. The loam should be well 
divided and the manure sifted. If it is not convenient to use small 
pots, pieces of turf 4 inches square are good substitutes. Pinch the 
points off the runners before layering, as it will strengthen the re- 
.maining runners. Press the base of the runner on the surface of the 
soil or turf, and peg it in position. After being layered they must be 
kept well supplied with moisture. When well rooted sever them 
from the parent plants, stand them together in a sheltered place, and 
keep them well supplied with water. In a week they will be in good 
• condition for planting out. 
Planting out the Runners.— Two feet apart in the rows and 
the same between the rows is a good distance. To every plant give 
a good shovelful of soil, the same as was used for layering, only it 
may be in a slightly rougher state. Press the soil well round the 
roots, and form a shallow basin round them. Keep all runners re¬ 
moved as soon as they appear, and well water them every alternate 
night, or according to the weather. They will soon commence grow¬ 
ing, when the Dutch hoe should be used frequently amongst them. 
As the season advances and the autumn rains come on discontinue 
watering. 
After-treatment. —If the winter is likely to ‘be severe mulch 
■with some short dry manure. If it is likely to be an open winter do 
not mulch them, but use the Dutch hoe freely. After the fruit has 
set, and if it is dry weather, a good soaking of sewage or liquid 
manure should be given, afterwards well mulching them with long 
stable litter, which will soon become bleached and be a good protec¬ 
tion for the fruit, otherwise clean straw can be used. It will well 
repay the cultivator if time can be spared to support the fruit with 
Birch branches. This is the best protection from slugs, and the fruit 
is kept clean. 
Second Year's Treatment. —After the fruit is gathered and all 
runners taken off that are required, remove the runners that are left 
with the old mulching. Well hoe and clean the plantation, and give 
a thorough dressing of well-decayed manure. This is all the treat¬ 
ment they will require beyond hand-weeding and cutting off any 
runners which may appear until the fruiting period arrives, when the 
protection of the fruit must be seen to. 
If a new plantation is made every year it will be much the best 
system, as then there will be a one-year and two-vear-old plantation 
in full bearing ; but the one-year-old plantation will produce much 
the finer fruit. 
Varieties. —Most gardeners have their favourite sorts, but I give 
a short list for succession :—Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury, Keens' 
Seedling, Sir Joseph Paxton, President, Sir Charles Napier, British 
Queen (in some soils), Unser Fritz, Loxford Hall Seedling, Frogmore 
Late Pine, and Oxonian.—A. Young. 
Flora of the Philippine Islands —At the recent meeting of the 
Linnean Society Mr. R. H. Rolfe of the Kew Herbarium gave a communi¬ 
cation on the flora of the Philippine Islands and its probable derivation. 
According to recent computation the phasnogamic vegetation of the 
Philippines consists of 3564 species belonging to 1002 genera. Of 165 
dicotyledonous orders 119 are represented, and of monocotyledons 25 out 
of 35 ; while the three Gymnospermeae, though nominally there, are poor 
in number. The proportion of vascular cryptogams to phaenerogams is 
nearly one-eighth, chiefly Ferns. Of these 52 species are not known 
elsewhere, a fact stamping individuality on the flora. The endemic 
pbaenogamic vegetation consists of 917 species, or a proportion of over 
one-fourth endemic, the dicotyledons showing one-third, the monocotyle¬ 
dons about one-tenth. The striking feature of the flora is the large 
number of endemic species and the very small number of endemic genera. 
The flora approximates to that of the Malayan region ; but very many 
typical Malayan genera—those even occurring on the neighbouring island 
of Borneo—are wanting in the Philippines. Taking into account the 
dominant Australian and Austro-Malayan features, along with numerous 
other data and reasoning, Mr. Rolfe infers that Mr. Wallace’s idea of 
extinction of genera by submergence will not alone explain the present 
peculiarities of the vegetation. Mr. Rolfe looks upon the Philippines as 
truly insular in the essentials of their natural history. This is not so much 
through their being an early separation from the Asiatic continent which 
has had a dip under the sea, as from their being largely of volcanic and 
geologically of somewhat recent origin. 
SHORT NOTES ON NEW VEGETABLES. 
Veitcli’s Perfect Gem Lettuce. —This is indeed a gem. It is the most 
compact Cabbage Lettuce in cultivation. We are cutting beautiful 
samples of it now from seed sown in a little heat in February last. From 
this it will be seen it is not slow in turning in, and its firm crisp heads 
leave nothing to be desired in a Cabbage Lettuce. As an exhibition sort 
it will be a favourite. 
Snowdrop Potato. —Some reader of the Journal in Northamptonshire 
sent me a few tubers of this Potato to try two years ago, and it has been 
a constant success here. The first year I had tubers of it 19 ozs. in 
weight, plenty of them, and no disease. Last year it had several prizes in 
this part, and from all I can see and hear it is without doubt one of the 
finest of kidney Potatoes. The tubers resemble those of International; the 
stems and leaves those of Schoolmaster. The crop is one of the heaviest, 
and the quality is far above the average. It is very early too, as we dug 
some good dishes of it the second week in May from beds which were 
made up and planted in February. I consider it amongst the best for 
early forcing, general crop, or exhibition. 
Jefferies' July Surprise Kidney Bean. —This was sent to me from 
Cirencester. It grows about 18 inches high, is very dark and distinct in 
the leaf. The pods are produced in the greatest profusion. They are 
narrow, long, and tender, and when forced along with half a dozen other 
sorts this spring it came in before any of them by eight days. 
Carters' Market Favourite Spinach. —A form of the Round-seeded 
variety, but it is earlier than the ordinary Spinach so well known in 
gardens. It is also rounder and bigger in the leaf, more compact in 
growth, and very profitable. 
Venn’s Early Cabbage. —I had some plants of this sent me by parcel 
post last November from Mr. Oliver, Elsington Park, Alnwick. It has 
turned out remarkably weR. It is the most compact-growing, earliest, and 
best of aU our spring Cabbages. This season not one of the plants bolted, 
and every one formed a massive head of fine quality. It is very distinct, 
and is certainly meritorious enough to be distributed as new. 
Carters' New Holborn Crimson Marble-Tipped Radish. —It is almost 
impossible now to get a new Radish more handsome in shape and better 
in quality than existing varieties, as good Radishes have become so plenti¬ 
ful of late, but there is still room for development and quickness in gain¬ 
ing maturity; and besides possessing other good qualities, this one promises 
to be the earliest. About a month ago I sowed six varieties of Radishes, 
in one day, including French Breakfast and Wood’s Early Frame, both 
well-known early sorts, but that named above was up first, and it has 
kept the lead ever since.— J. Muir, Maryam, 
PBIMULA. SIEBOLDI. 
For spring decoration there are few finer plants than these, as 
they make effective specimens for cool-house decoration, and are very 
useful for cutting. There is now a comparatively large number of 
varieties, and the little care needed in their culture with the ease of 
propagation render them useful for everybody who has a frame or 
greenhouse. 
This Primrose is rather impatient of disturbance at the roots, but 
as stock must be raised I advise those that intend growing them into 
specimens to break up the strong plants in the autumn and make two 
sizes of the divisions— i.e., those with strong crowns and those with 
small, potting the first singly in 3-inch pots, and half a dozen strong 
crowns in 6-inch pots, whilst of the smaller crowns a dozen can be 
placed in a 5 or 6-inch pot. They should be potted so that the 
crowns are just covered with soil. Good loam from decayed turves of 
medium texture, with a fifth of well-decayed manure thoroughly 
incorporated, and a little sharp sand, form a suitable compost. The 
drainage should be free, as they require abundant supplies of water 
when growing, and a little charcoal mixed with the soil is an advan¬ 
tage ; or part of the drainage may be of that material with the dust 
sifted out. Plunge the pots in coal ashes to the rim in a cold frame, 
and cover the pots with cocoa-nut fibre refuse as a safeguard agains 
