74 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ January 27, issi. 
was one of the first of the continental raisers to undertake the 
dwarf or Tom Thumb type of doubles. I sent it to Chiswick with 
some of my own varieties, but was not aware that I received a 
certificate for it. Guillon Mangilli I found one of the best of 
winter bloomers, the colour being at that period a distinct purple 
tinted violet. It has long been appreciated in the United States 
for its good qualities. I had several fine seedlings from it with 
broader petals, which passed into the hands of my friend Mr. 
Gilbert, but I never learned whether anything came of them ; 
but when I was a raiser of double Pelargoniums, the strong-habited 
type with coarse foliage and trusses, such as Gloire de Nancy, 
were in vogue, and the dwarf semi-doubles, which are so valuable 
for winter flowering, and which I believe I was one of the first to 
introduce, were quite unappreciated. Doubtless this arose from 
the desire of most growers to obtain satisfactory results from 
their growth out of doors, which the climate of England renders 
quite impossible. I have, however, seen the best effects produced 
from the growth of doubles and semi-doubles in the open air with 
Mr. Pond and others in Jersey.—T. Laxton. 
Having observed several inquiries respecting the raiser of the 
above Zonal, we beg to state that it was raised by Mons. V. 
Lemoine of Nancy, and distributed in this country in 1875. At 
that time it was considered a good variety, but new kinds of every 
year since have been remarkable for their dwarfness and depth of 
colour. In looking through a house of each double and single 
varieties it is surprising to observe the difference, some varieties 
being quite three to six shades deeper than Guillon Mangilli, and 
it is on this account that it is not found in trade catalogues. Its 
growth is long and at times straggling, and the pips thin. We 
discarded it in 1879. Other varieties we find much better not 
only in habit but in the flowers, more free, a higher tone of 
colour, and with better rossette-shaped pips. So fine are the 
doubles that we find by keeping 3° to 5° more of heat in the 
house where they are situated that they bloom equally as well as 
the singles during the winter ; and although they cannot be com¬ 
pared to the single varieties for brilliancy of colour, yet for cut 
flowers and withstanding the rough usage they sometimes receive 
in travelling they are far preferable ; in fact, we have no flower 
to equal them during the winter.—H. Cannell, jun. 
Since Mr. Taylor’s article in the Journal on the value of 
Guillon Mangilli as a winter-flowering Pelargonium, it has 
naturally excited the attention of many who have a demand for 
flowers in winter. I have Guillon Mangilli, and another under 
the name of Jules Mangollen, that are so near alike that I cannot 
tell one from the other. Both are equally good in the winter, and 
the flowers opened well in a temperature of 40° Fahr. this year. 
If mine is the true variety, I would advise those who have one 
variety not to trouble about getting the other. 
My mode of treatment is, as soon as other flowers are plen¬ 
tiful in spring, to cut down the best winter-flowering varieties and 
put the cuttings singly in small 60’s, in a compost of sandy loam 
three parts, well-decayed manure one part, a little silver sand, 
and charcoal broken to the size of a small pea. The charcoal dust 
caused by breaking is placed in with it. The cuttings are pressed 
rather firmly in. They are generally placed in the cool vinery 
or cold pit, as they strike well there, and are better than when 
struck in too much heat. They are much better kept sturdy for 
winter flowering. As soon as they are well rooted they are shifted 
into 5-inch pots. A little bone dust is added this time to the com¬ 
post, and they are placed in a frame or cold pit and kept rather 
close for a few days, after which the lights are drawn off 
except in wet weather. All the flowers are kept off as soon as 
they are seen. It is very rare that they need stopping more than 
once. Sometimes the old plants are potted-on for winter, but I 
like the young plants best. Madame Baltet and Wonderful are 
the next best doubles I have for winter. Good single varieties 
for the same purpose are Aphrodite, Aida, Placci, Titania 
(Pearson’s), John Gibbons, Mrs. Hetley, and Mrs. Leavers.—J. L. 
[We have had other letters in reference to the variety “ Guillon 
Mangilli,” but it would be unfair to nurserymen generally to pub¬ 
lish them. The only proper course is for those who have plants 
for sale to advertise them.—E ds.] 
STRAWBERRY FARMING. 
( Continued from page 23.) 
Soil. —I have just been looking over a list of Strawberries 
containing the names of nearly five hundred different varieties 
that have been produced and grown during the present century. 
Doubtless each of these has been in its day the boast and pet 
of its raiser, and probably most of them have, even in good faith, 
been warranted the best croppers out. Probably most of them 
have also proved at some time disappointing to over-expectant 
gardeners, owing mainly to the soil and the variety having been 
improperly matched. I do not know any kind of fruit the 
varieties of which are so particular about a proper soil as the 
Strawberry. Certain varieties seem to thrive almost anywhere, 
while others are profitable only on light, heavy, or medium soils 
respectively. It is thus extremely difficult to give the proper 
advice to beginners as to the sorts they ought to grow. A good 
general rule would be this—Make yourself acquainted with the 
varieties that have already proved suitable to your district; 
depend mainly on these for a few years ; meanwhile test a few 
dozens each of other likely varieties, retaining for extensive 
planting those that prove the most suitable. A very good selec¬ 
tion of promising varieties may be made from any grower’s 
descriptive list if the main characteristics of roots, foliage, and 
flower stems, as noticed in a former paper, be borne in mind, 
and also the nature of the soil in which they are to grow. At 
least four years of trial will be required before we can decide 
on the most desirable ; for not only do we wish to know what 
will bear the best crops the first or second year, but for a succes¬ 
sion of years. Some exhaust themselves in one or two seasons, 
while others continue to bear heavy crops for five years or more ; 
and in fruit-farming on a large scale such long-enduring varieties 
are most required. 
But while, as I believe, there exist varieties of Strawberries 
to suit almost any soil, from mere sand or gravel to stiff clay, we 
must not lose sight of the possibility of making our soil to suit the 
variety. There are certain general requirements of the soil that 
cannot be dispensed with if we are to farm with profit. In the 
first place, it must be sufficiently rich to afford the necessary nutri¬ 
ment to the plants. If not so naturally, it must be made so by 
liberal dressings of manure well dug or ploughed in. A crop or 
two of Potatoes well manured is in such cases an excellent pre¬ 
paration . This not only enriches the soil, but ensures that the 
surface is thoroughly pulverised, aerated, and cleared of weeds. 
Light soils require heavy manure, such as cow’s or pig’s, while 
heavy soils require the lighter manure of the stable. With such 
a preparation it is not necessary to manure so heavily when the 
Strawberry plants are to be set, and thus the often excessive 
growth of runners the first year is prevented. The young roots 
are encouraged to go further in search of nourishment, and the 
plants become therefore more robust. A moderate amount of 
manure applied thereafter year by year as a mulch is much better 
than a heavy dressing at first and subsequent neglect. 
In the second place, the soil must be of a nature to retain 
moisture for a long time, for the Strawberry loves moisture. It 
is a mistake to think that a naturally wet soil meets this require¬ 
ment. I have seen clay lands baked like bricks during a spell 
of dry weather, while our gravelly soil still retained sufficient 
moisture. The proper thing is a soil rendered friable by deep 
cultivation, thoroughly drained if naturally stiff and retentive, 
and well mulched and mixed with well-decayed manure if of a 
light dry nature. Such a soil will longest retain moistness, and 
at the same time speedily dispose of any excess. Our experience 
in this quarter would seem to prove that a porous subsoil, though 
only of rusty gravel, is almost of equal importance to a suitable 
upper stratum. Probably it acts beneficially by allowing the 
free escape to the surface of the underlying water in the form 
of vapours. A subsoil of clean sand seems, on the other hand, to 
have the power of passing moisture downwards but not upwards, 
which may account for the total failure of Strawberries which I 
have observed in such a district. Where soils of opposite ex¬ 
tremes are immediately contiguous, or, as is sometimes the case, 
actually superincumbent on one another, much good may result 
from judiciously mixing the one with the other. Thus by mixing, 
trenching, subsoiling, draining, manuring, and preparatory crops, 
or by such only of these as meet the case, we need not despair of 
preparing a proper soil for this somewhat capricious crop; 
Success is certain if it be intelligently done, and the expense is 
really insignificant when compared with the difference between 
a good crop of, say, three tons per acre, and a poor one of one 
ton.— William Raitt. 
The Forests of America.— Mr. T. Meehan states that “ in the 
States of Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina there are, at the 
present time, millions of acres of magnificent forest trees. Among 
these are White Oak, Chestnut Oak, Red Oak, and the Tulip Poplar 
in immense quantities ; with a great quantity of species, useful but 
less known, used in the leading arts, such as Beech, Birch, Elm, 
Sweet Gum, Black or Sour Gum, Buttonwood, Linden, Cucumber, 
and other Magnolias, Ash, Sugar, and other Maples, Locust 
Chestnut, and Horse Chestnut, Walnut and Hickory, enormous 
