JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 13, 1881. ] 
23 
garden is considerable, which, when well incorporated with a 
slight admixture of quicklime, forms one of the best fertilising 
agents that can be employed for many purposes. Materials of 
this description do not usually receive sufficient attention. At 
times, therefore, when from the effects of frost or other causes 
the progress of ordinary work is interrupted, attention should be 
given to the materials which form the rubbish heap, turning them, 
and taking out such as are fit for use. and adding a little quick¬ 
lime to what remains, well mixing it together in order to accelerate 
decomposition and furnish supplies as speedily as possible.— 
Practicalist. 
STRAWBERRY FARMING-. 
(Continuedfrontpage 591, last vol.) 
The basis of all successful Strawberry culture, or of any other 
culture indeed, is a knowledge of the nature and habits of the 
plant we grow. I shall therefore shortly refer to them. 
The botanical name of the Strawberry is Fragaria, and many 
species are found growing wild in both hemispheres. Tbe typical 
European species is the Alpine Strawberry (F. vesca), the deli¬ 
cious flavour of which made it famous among the ancient poets. 
It does not appear to have been regularly cultivated for more 
than four hundred years, and during the earlier half of that 
period was very little improved from its native habit. It is 
peculiarly unaffected by cultivation, tending to reproduce itself 
with unvarying exactness. However, about 1727 a new species, 
more capable of improvement, was introduced from Chili (F. chil- 
ensis). Most of our modern varieties are the descendants of this. 
Strangely enough the other American species introduced about the 
same time (F. virginiana) seems to have been neglected for about 
a century, until its tendency to produce new varieties from seed 
was discovered. The Virginian Strawberry is the original of nearly 
all the famous varieties now cultivated in the United States. 
It is to be noted that, in raising varieties from seed, we may 
find in the same batch three different kinds of plants—male, 
female, and bisexual, or perfect-flowered. This accounts for the 
occasional appearance of barren plants in our fields and gardens. 
Only the perfect-flowered varieties are worthy of culture, although 
good crops may be raised by planting those having pistils only, 
if every tenth row be occupied by either a staminate or perfect- 
flowered variety. The necessity for this precaution, and the 
consequent trouble and confusion, have led to the almost uni¬ 
versal adoption of the bisexual kind. Those who attempt 
hybridising, or allow seedlings to remain in the ground, ought 
not to lose sight of the facts. Even in perfect flowers, too, it is 
important to know that the stigma is ripe before the pollen on 
the same flower. Under proper precautions, therefore, it is com¬ 
paratively easy to obtain a direct cross between selected varieties. 
Besides producing seed the Strawberry propagates itself by 
forming new crowns and by rooted runners. Its seedlings are so 
unreliable we depend mainly on runners for new plants, though 
scarce varieties may also be propagated by dividing the crowns. 
The new crowns are produced year by year at the sides of those 
that have produced fruit, and soon after forming they emit new 
roots above the old ones, thus becoming almost independent of 
the parent stock. This habit accounts for the tendency of the 
plant to push itself out of the ground, and proves tbe absurdity 
of planting on the top of a ridge—a method too common in this 
quarter. In such a case the working of the ground and the in¬ 
fluence of the weather soon deprive the plant of all chance of 
forming new roots. When, on the other hand, the plants are set 
rather under than over the level of the soil, an opportunity is 
afforded of year by year drawing in the soil so as to afford a chance 
to the new roots, and greatly prolonging the term during which a 
plantation may profitably remain. 
Much difficulty is often experienced in selecting varieties suit¬ 
able to particular localities. Perhaps no fruit seems so capricious 
in this respect as the Strawberry. The usual plan is to go on 
testing varieties for years till a suitable one is found—a weari¬ 
some and costly process. May not a little study of the habit of 
some varieties enable us to avoid in some measure such trouble ? 
For instance, one variety is naturally strong in foliage, another 
only moderately so. The former will generally be found to fail 
in rich ground, the latter to thrive ; while the opposite may be 
the case on poor soil. Again, some varieties, like Elton Pine, 
have long wiry roots that penetrate deeply into the soil, while 
others, like Risers’ Eliza, have short fleshy roots. The former 
will therefore thrive where the latter would starve, the one draw¬ 
ing its supplies from so much greater a radius than the other. 
Doubtless this property of the Elton Pine has led to its being the 
favourite in this district, where the soil is very poor. The other 
local favourites are likewise strong-growing deeply-rooted varie¬ 
ties, such as Excel and Rifleman. The tendency of a kind to 
throw an excess of runners is also worthy of notice ; for it may be 
taken for granted that if, after the first year, runners abound the 
fruit will be scanty. Of course, by constant pruning much may 
be done to remedy the evil, but on the whole it is better to select 
varieties with less erratic tendencies. 
The character of the foliage should also be taken into consider¬ 
ation in selecting varieties. In shady cool localities the less 
heavily foliaged forms are the best, as they allow the sunshine to 
act on the roots and flower buds; while in situations where the 
soil is light, and especially where there is a decided southern 
exposure, those with heavy foliage are to be preferred. The same 
selection should be made for localities more than ordinarily ex¬ 
posed to black frosts, the strong withered foliage being a necessary 
protection to the flower buds during winter ; yet I have seen 
gardeners on the approach of winter shave their Strawberry beds 
with a scythe as close to the ground as possible, without even 
giving a mulch as an equivalent. Where late spring frosts are 
common it will often be found that varieties which, like Sir J. 
Paxton, throw their flowerstalks above their foliage are hopelessly 
blasted in a night; while others, like Excel, that hide their blooms 
under their leaves, escape. Such are a few of the considerations 
that should assist us in selecting varieties. Many others will 
suggest themselves to the observant. 
A word more as to roots. Rooted runners continue to extend 
their rootlets from their extremities the first year until cold 
weather sets in. If these are to be transplanted in autumn they 
should be lifted very carefully and as carefully replanted without 
any root-pruning. Such plants will at once go on growing from 
the ends of the roots. The case is different with runners left till 
spring. By that time the roots have ripened, and will be mostly 
broken in the lifting. Such broken roots, like broken cuttings, 
do not throw out fresh fibres so readily as when cleanly cut. All 
spring-planted runners, therefore, should have their roots shortened 
by a sharp knife. The result will be a set of new fibres from the 
cut ends, and consequently a much stronger plant than if left 
unpruned. Such pruned roots should, however, never be placed 
in immediate contact with fresh manure, but be spread out in the 
moist soil.— William Raitt. 
(To be continued.) 
PROTECTING TEA ROSES. 
The old proverb of the uselessness of locking the stable door 
after your horse has been stolen has several times been brought to 
my mind lately on visiting the gardens of some of my friends. 
The last two winters killed nearly all their tender Roses. “ They 
would be in time this year,” said they ; and early in November 
litter and mats disfigured their gardens. Up to now, the 5th of 
January, we have had very mild weather, and if in such weather 
we smother up otir Roses and “ coddle ” our tender Teas woe 
betide us when the March winds and spring frosts come. I 
strongly advise my brother amateurs to have litter and matting 
and bags in perfect readiness, so that an hour’s work will make 
all safe, but the policy of wrapping-up in mild weather on the 
chance of some day getting severe frost is a mistake. 
Mr. George Paul says, “ The fact is, we must ‘ watch ’ our 
Teas.” This is quite right. We must thoroughly protect in severe 
weather, and when this weather changes suddenly we lovers of the 
Tea Rose must change our tactics, and remove from the immediate 
neighbourhood of our plants that light or heavy litter which if 
left close round them causes them to ‘sweat,’ and so to become a 
more easy prey to Jack Frost’s next attack. I use cocoa-nut fibre. 
It is very clean, and easily moved with the hand. In half an hour 
I can cover or uncover one hundred trees. I have it about 
8 inches deep. Many of my buds are starting on the Manetti. 
How precocious H.P. Lord Macaulay is ! If this weather lasts 
much longer and we have a cruel spring untransplanted Rose 
trees will have a sorry time of it.—J. A. W. 
THE SEED ORDER. 
I don’t know how it may be with other gardeners, but making 
out the seed order with me is no small affair. True, it is simpli¬ 
fied by practice, but I still spend many hours over it every season 
and return to it again and again. It is not that a packet or two 
of seeds, which may not turn out as well as the catalogues would 
have us believe, is a very serious affair ; there are many things to 
be taken into consideration besides the actual purchase of the 
seeds. First, they cannot be grown without labour and room ; 
and secondly, they may effect for good or for bad the successions 
which are expected to be kept up in all well-conducted establish¬ 
ments. When a man is spending his own money only he has a 
right to please himself in everything he buys, and if he is an 
enthusiast the interest he takes in his own experiments will to a 
