June SO, 1881. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
523 
30th 
Th 
Richmond, Farnham, and Canterbury Shows. 
Strawberry and Cherry Show at the Alexandra Palace. 
1st 
E 
2nd 
S 
National Rose Society’s Exhibition, Crystal Palace. 
3rd 
Sun 
3rd Sunday after Trinity. 
4th 
M 
Xaidstone Rose Show. 
6th 
TU 
Reigate, Harrow, Rochester, and Stourbridge Shows. 
6th 
W 
Royal Botanic Summer Show. Cardiff, Norwood, & Wimbledon 
[Shows. 
PREPARING FOR WINTER. 
HOSE who are not deeply versed in the mysteries 
of gardening may perhaps think remarks under 
this heading somewhat premature, the more so 
as we can scarcely be said to have entered the 
summer season. But gardeners are required to 
look ahead, and long before one season is past 
they must be preparing for the corresponding period 
in the year following. Preparing for winter is no small 
matter ; on the contrary, it entails a great amount of 
forethought and labour, which must be well and care¬ 
fully performed. Procrastination with gardeners very fre¬ 
quently means either a partial or complete failure, and at no 
time is this more evident than when preparing for the winter. 
To attempt to treat upon all that requires preparation in one 
or two papers scarcely admits of justice being done to the 
theme ; at the same time I shall endeavour to write as briefly 
as possible, commencing with some important j crops requiring 
immediate attention. 
STRAWBERRIES. 
Probably no forced crops, provided they are good, give more 
pleasure to all concerned than Strawberries. Much trouble is 
certainly entailed in their culture, but if not forced very early 
no one can say they are unprofitable. Now is the time to 
layer the runners, and which method is most economical, and 
which are the best varieties for forcing, are the questions to 
be considered. The selection of varieties ought to depend 
entirely upon circumstances. Black Prince is suitable for 
very early forcing in 5-inch pots, but the fruits are too small 
to please many. Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury forces well 
and crops heavily ; the fruits, however, are not large nor early 
in the season of the best quality. Keens' Seedling is still one 
of the best early varieties, and La Grosse Sucree forms an 
admirable succession, though, unfortunately, the fruit travels 
badly. Sir Joseph Paxton forces well, and the fruit is large 
and firm. President also crops heavily, and the fruits are 
also large and handsome. British Queen and Dr. Hogg are 
equally good for late crops, the quality of both being very 
fine. I am required to have fine fruit ripe and of good flavour 
by the first week in April, and it has to be sent to the town 
house. My selection is Keens’ Seedling, Vicomtesse Hericart 
de Thury, La Grosse Sucree, and Sir Joseph Paxton. The 
three former will be fruited in 6-inch pots to the extent of 
two-thirds of the stock, the remainder being Sir Joseph Paxton 
in 8-inch pots, and these will continue the supply till the 
earliest plants on south borders are ripening fruit. 
Opinions vary as to which is the best method of securing 
strong well-rooted plants for forcing, that most in vogue being 
to layer into 3-inch pots and to shift into 6-inch pots. Several 
practical men I am acquainted with prefer layering direct into 
fruiting pots, and the results certainly appear to justify the 
practice. Strawberries must be potted firmly, and the young 
hands, and some old ones too I find, are apt to be careless in 
this respect, and that is a reason for advocating layering direct 
into fruiting pots, the ramming being more easily and therefore 
more surely performed prior to the runners being pegged 
down. My only objection to the practice is the fact of the 
necessarily heavy trampling appearing to injuriously affect 
the beds, and for my part I never experienced much difficulty 
in well filling the pots with roots. All my runners will be 
secured from old forced plants now in the open ground, and a 
number of small plants recently turned out of small pots and 
planted between some Gooseberry bushes and Box edgings. 
Early strong runners are thus obtained. Those intended for 
8-inch pots and for planting-out will be layered into 3-inch 
pots, and the others direct into 6-inch pots. The soil employed 
will consist of strong and rather clayey loam, to every four 
barrowloads of which will be added one of sifted decomposed 
manure, and this mixture will in every case be made as firm 
as possible. Clean pots are needed, and in the case of the 
large sizes good drainage is essential ; and I think it advisable 
to place a thin layer of moss over the potsherds, sprinkling a 
little soot on this, which will both assist the plants and tend 
to exclude worms. The young layered plants are separated 
from the old stools as soon as established, and where it is 
required they are transferred into the large pots before be¬ 
coming much rootbound. The plants to be arranged in beds 
on ashes, and in a sunny open spot, avoiding crowding, and at 
no time from the date of layering to finishing the crop of 
fruit must the soil be allowed to become very dry. Strong 
well-established plants do not require to be stored in frames 
to protect them from frost, but it is advisable to plunge in 
ashes and other material to preserve the pots from cracking. 
We have a rough frame for storing away the plants intended 
for early work, and this frame is afterwards utilised for dwarf 
early Peas. 
BROCCOLI AND WINTER GREENS. 
In spite of the two disastrous winters, it is very probable 
that these crops will be grown more extensively than ever. 
The late dearth among these green crops has decided many 
to make more strenuous exertions to maintain a supply. Never, 
perhaps, was a worse start made than this season, as it seemed 
impossible to secure enough plants to place out. The first 
batches in the open were cleared off as they showed above 
ground, and even strong Cauliflower plants could make no 
headway against the ravages of the small beetle that attacks 
them. The next sowing nearly shared the same fate, and 
eventually the remainder of the seed had to be sown in hand 
lights. The plants thus obtained are now pricked out and are 
growing satisfactorily. 
It is a very common practice to sow the seed of the Brassicas 
on sheltered borders, often in small beds, where the plants 
remain in a crowded state till the ground may be cleared for 
their reception. This is a decidedly bad commencement : it is 
better by far to prick out the young seedlings when in rough 
leaf, choosing showery weather for the operation. Plants 
thus treated will not only be sturdy, but can easily be lifted 
with a good ball of soil attached, which is of importance in 
late planting. The unusually vigorous growth of the Potato 
No. 63.—Yol. II., Third Series. 
No. 1709 .—Yol. LXY., Old Series, 
