106 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
f February 10, 1881. 
Insects of the nature indicated will not prove such a source of 
annoyance to cultivators if the plants are kept in good health 
and grown luxuriantly ; but once thoroughly checked they 
appear to become a prey to all kinds of insect pests. When 
out of flower Gardenias in exuberant growth are very beautiful 
on account of the dark glossy foliage which is so characteristic 
of the plant when in good health. 
In training the plants the foundation must be begun by 
bringing the shoots down to the rim of the pots if round bushes 
are required, which can afterwards be kept in shape by stop¬ 
ping and regulating the shoots as they grow. After flowering 
they can be cut into shape with the knife. The system of 
tying and twisting the specimens into the form of pyramids 
and other shapes as if clipped with a pair of shears cannot 
be too strongly condemned. The foliage cannot be kept clean 
when the shoots are closely tied and twisted together. The 
plants do not show off their flowers so well, nor are they so 
natural-looking as if grown as free informal bushes without 
tie or stick after the foundation has been laid.—W. Bardney. 
STRAWBERRY FARMING. 
( Contin ued from page 74.) 
Planting .—New plantations may, according to circumstances, 
be laid down either in autumn or early spring. Autumn planting 
has the advantage of yielding a partial crop the following season, 
but is not always practicable, owing to the difficulty frequently 
experienced of finding rooted runners sufficiently early and land 
available without missing a crop. Many soils are much subject 
to be raised by frost and throw out the plants, and on this account 
we do not recommend autumn planting later than August. The 
plants, then in full vigour, will thus get firmly rooted before 
winter. To ensure land for this planting it must either be sum¬ 
mer-fallowed or planted with Potatoes of early sorts that may be 
cleared off in time. 
Spring planting, on the other hand, while it yields, or rather 
ought to yield, no return the first season, presents no difficulty as 
to finding plants or vacant ground. The plants may either be left 
on the runners till required, or taken up the previous autumn and 
closely packed in beds over which ferns or straw may be thinly 
spread during frosty weather. 
The most vigorous plants are secured from rows that are pro¬ 
ducing their first or second crop of runners, and it is well to 
reserve a small quarter for the special purpose of producing these. 
The best system of cultivation for fruiting purposes, as we shall 
see, makes it impossible to obtain both fruit and runners of the 
best quality from the same plants. We therefore recommend a 
small nursery of each kind wanted, to be formed the season before 
the plants are required. In this the fruiting stems should all be 
removed as they appear, and the surface lightly mulched with 
decayed manure and kept soft and untrodden. If the plants have 
room enough, say 2 feet each way, each should under this treat¬ 
ment produce from ten to twenty or thirty plants during the 
season. Beginners must of course borrow or purchase, and as 
strong plants carefully lifted and packed may be had in this 
neighbourhood at least at from 5s. to 7s. Gd. per thousand, the 
item is not a very serious one. 
The young plants, especially in autumn, ought to be lifted very 
carefully by means of a fork, and the soil shaken from their roots. 
They should then be bunched in one hand, the roots straightened 
out one way and the leaves and runners the other. When a hand¬ 
ful has been collected, all straggling leaves and runners must be 
trimmed off, and, if for sale, they should be tied in bunches of, 
say, twenty-five each. Plants thus prepared are worth a shilling 
or two a thousand more than if thrown carelessly together. 
It is well to see that the ground is ready to receive the plants 
immediately they are prepared. After a well-manured Potato 
crop a moderate dressing of decayed manure should be ploughed 
in and the ground thoroughly levelled by the harrow. And now 
comes the question as to the mode of cultivation to be adopted. 
In order to avail ourselves, as far as possible, of horse labour, it 
is necessary to plant in rows ; but while this is generally done, 
there are three different systems of after treatment among which 
to choose. First, there is the system under which such runners as 
may chance to root themselves in the line of the plants are allowed 
to remain, forming in the course of a year or two the matted row. 
Under the second system each pair of rows is allowed to mat 
together into what we may call the matted bed, alleys being thus 
left only between alternate rows. Under the third system, which 
we decidedly prefer, no runners are allowed to root at all, unless 
required to fill blanks. This we may call the single-stool system, 
and is the only one that allows us to obtain the full advantage 
from the original plants. Either of the former two systems might 
do if we could secure freedom from weeds and a fertility of soil 
practically inexhaustible. It is argued on their behalf that a new 
set of plants is continually coming into bearing, and thus the 
plantation may last many years. To this we reply, that a single 
plant properly cultivated and kept free from runners will produce 
more fruit and of better quality than if allowed to spread at will ; 
and will besides continue in full bearing for at least five or six 
years, by which time it is in any case desirable to break up the 
plantation, which we can do the less grudgingly as there are no 
young plants tempting us to delay till another season. The single¬ 
stool system is the only one that allows us the full capabilities of 
the original plants, the full advantage of horse labour, and the 
entire command over the weeds. 
The rows should be at least 30 inches asunder, and the plants 
from 15 to 18 inches apart according to the vigour of the variety 
cultivated. At the less distance about fourteen thousand plants 
per acre will be required. Planting should be done by means of a 
line and a trowel; and if two persons are engaged—one to manage 
the line and make the holes, the other to set the plants—the work 
can be done very quickly. The roots should be spread in the 
holes so that each fibre may be in contact with the soil, and not 
matted together as is the case when a dibble is used. In autumn 
the roots may be planted entire, but in spring should be previously 
shortened about a third of their length for reasons previously 
given. The plants should be set so that the crowns are rather 
under than above the general surface ; and the soil, at first filled in 
lightly, should be afterwards pressed so firm that it will not be 
easy to pull the plants up again. In very dry weather it may be 
necessary either to puddle the roots before planting, or to pour a 
little water into each hole.— William Baitt, Blairgowrie. 
THE BLUE ROMAN HYACINTH 
“ A very extensive cultivator of bulbs ” who condemns this form 
should, perhaps, give reasons for his condemnation. If on account 
of capricious taste in the market it is hardly fair, because that 
has little to do with intrinsic merit. Before reading the remarks 
referred to, I supposed the small favour that this form has met 
with to be due to shy-flowering habit. It may vary in this 
respect, because among a number of bulbs I have in no case less 
than two spikes from each, and I have even noticed three. If a 
blue Roman Hyacinth is of any use, I see no reason for condemning 
this plant. I do not see how a plant so totally distinct as Scilla 
siberica is, can be compared with it. If a lady desires bright 
blue flowers and does not care in the least what plant affords them, 
there is nothing but the Scilla to take. Truly the blue Roman 
Hyacinth is not a fine plant (nor is the white but for the accept¬ 
ability of its pure white flowers), but I think that it has been 
condemned beyond its deserts.—L. 
We believe your correspondent in last week’s Journal was under 
a cloud when he wrote about blue Roman Hyacinths. We have 
grown many hundreds of them this season, and shall grow thou¬ 
sands next year, they are so useful. They cannot be forced so 
well as white Romans, but may be easily had in flower at Christ¬ 
mas. The bulbs were potted in 5-inch pots, four in a pot, and 
treated like white Romans, each bulb producing three or four 
spikes, and not one missing. 
The white Italian Hyacinths are also very useful, flowering 
about the same time, the flowers being much larger than the blue, 
and succeeding white Romans well.— Jones & Sons, Shrewsbury. 
THE VEGETABLE SUPPLY. 
I can endorse every word Mr. Iggulden says on page G4 ; and 
I hope farmers will take the advice of a capable man like himself, 
and not be led astray by no doubt well-meaning M.P.’s and other 
gentlemen who have necessarily little or no practical knowledge 
of this subject, and who, in my opinion, do a great deal of harm 
by the advice which, through the best of motives, they give so 
freely. 
“ Wiltshire Rector ” says he does not refer to London but 
to the provinces, when he says that the supply of vegetables is 
not adequate to the demand. As a provincial grower I beg to 
differ from him, and I say that in the markets of Liverpool, 
Manchester, and adjacent large towns vegetables never were more 
abundant or finer, neither were prices before so low as last year. 
Were I not afraid of taking up too much space I would specify the 
wholesale prices of the principal articles, prices that in most 
instances were a dead loss to the grower, who had to take 
