September 29, 1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 283 
la addition to the above and some others of minor importance 
we have a variety of Phloxes and Pentstemons which, taken 
altogether, make a very interesting collection of hardy autumn 
flowers.— William Taylor. 
STRAWBERRY-GROWING IN COLD AND 
NORTHERN LOCALITIES. 
It were well if cultivators who give their experience to the 
public by means of the press would indicate what climate and in 
what latitude they practise ; for it often happens that those who 
imitate the published practice of others fail, not because the 
teaching has been wrong, but because of altered conditions de¬ 
manding different courses to ensure success. We garden far 
north, where the “ mists ” occasionally cause the rain-gauges to 
indicate a rainfall of more than an inch a day, and where people 
boast of an early harvest when the corn is in the stack-yard by 
September. Here Spinach must be sown by the beginning of 
August, and Onions at the end of July, in order to have them 
strong enough to winter well ; and Gooseberries, in seasons like 
this, are plentiful at the middle of September. To be sure, this 
has been a particularly cold and sunless season, but even in the 
best of seasons things here are in their prime after those in more 
favoured localities are over. The consequence of all this is, that 
we are obliged to adopt modes of culture which in more favoured 
positions might not only be unnecessary but unsuitable. 
Like most gardeners we are ambitious to have everything in the 
best condition possible ; but to succeed we have had to “ invent ” 
new modes of cultivation, and having departed from ordinary 
cultivation, and thereby succeeded more than is usual in the culti¬ 
vation of Strawberries, we think not a few of your readers may 
find something to interest them, and possibly something profit¬ 
able, in the following mode of growing Strawberries in cold and 
northern localities. 
We ought to premise that our soil is poor and thin. Now soil 
poor and thin is not the best soil for Strawberry-growing ; there¬ 
fore in preparing our soil we do something towards deepening and 
enriching it. Most of it is now two spades deep : when we first 
dug it, it was only one. In preparing it, we trench it to the 
bottom and place a liberal allowance of manure between the 
layers of earth. The last layer of earth is the shovellings from the 
bottom of the trench, and is new soil manufactured as stated 
below, but as it is rather poor we put a good layer of manure 
under it. It is trenched in autumn, and during hard frost we 
spread another layer of old hotbed manure over the surface, and 
with a fork incorporate the new soil and new manure, for nothing 
we find surpasses new soil and new manure for Strawberries and 
Potatoes. We say, “ and Potatoes,” for such soil has to be pre¬ 
pared further than merely trenching, manuring, and forking it. 
Such soil if planted with Strawberries in autumn is too loose to 
hold the plants properly, and also too rich where the sun so 
seldom shines, but where the rain keeps everything cold and damp. 
Spring planting we consider a waste of time and ground, and 
here it is not at all suitable, as plants put out in spring do 
not fruit, but on properly prepared soil grow too strongly to be 
fruitful. Autumn planting, on soil prepared by trenching and 
cropping with early Potatoes, we find very successful as far as the 
Strawberries are concerned, and the Potatoes are always a large 
crop when plenty of room is given them. 
Now is the time to prepare the soil, for it must be firm. More 
failures, we believe, arise from planting Strawberries in newly 
dup-up soil than from any other cause. Those who intend making 
new plantations next year, but who trench and plant at once, we 
advise to try our plan and prepare now. 
In manufacturing new soil, as hinted at above, a few inches 
depth is pecked up—it is very hard and rusty—and a layer of 
manure is placed over it loosely. Out of the soil the rain washes 
the rust, and into it the manure, and when thrown by-and-by to 
the top, manured, forked, and exposed, it makes grand soil for 
Potatoes, and the Potatoes prepare it for Strawberries. After 
the Potatoes are lifted the ground is merely pointed over with a 
fork and cleaned, and is then ready for the new plants. So much 
for the preparation of the soil—an important matter ; now for 
a word on the preparation of the plants. 
Autumn—that is, September — planting for newly detached 
runners which have been trodden on and pulled about in the 
gathering of the fruit on the parent plants, and which are nearly 
rootless, will not do. Plants starred and stunted, turned out of 
3-inch pots with their roots coiled and wiry, will not do ; at any 
rate, such are not the best by a long way. We prepare ours partly 
on a shady border, partly in frames, when such can be spared, 
which too often they cannot. However, a shady border and 
rich soil (half soil, half decayed manure) give excellent results. 
Runners obtained from the earliest plants, before trampling begins, 
and just as they push roots, dibbled rather closely into this, 
sprinkled with water and shaded if need be, make fine plants 
by September that can be lifted with balls of roots as big as 
C-inch pots if need be, and with uncramped roots, strong leathery 
leaves, and fine plump crowns, which are considerably superior to 
the 3-inch-pot nurslings. 
The slight check they receive in lifting does them good. It 
stops them, hardens them, and makes them extremely fruitful. 
When the Potatoes are off soon enough—say in July—the trouble 
of the second planting may be saved, especially if showery 
weather prevail. That cannot be ensured though, and so, all 
things considered, we find plants prepared as we have advised 
best. 
We plant them a foot apart in the rows, and 18 inches be¬ 
tween the rows. This is twice as thick as they are ultimately 
thinned to ; but by so planting them a full crop of large fruit is 
had the first season, and when this is gathered every alternate 
row is hoed out. After the frosts of winter come we mulch the 
ground with manure. The rains wash in the strength of this and 
render the supply of liquid manure unnecessary. In the sunny 
south it may do good : here it only causes sterility by inducing 
overluxuriance. 
We allow the runners to grow. Our permanent rows are 3 feet 
apart, and the second year we allow young plants to root and 
develope themselves among the decaying mulch, for young plants 
produce the finest fruit. We dig between the rows, and do not 
find that the roots are injured ; but we find it much easier than 
hoeing, and raking, as is frequently done, half destroying those 
that remain in the process. We have also tried keeping the first 
plants isolated, as is often recommended, but do not find it worth 
the trouble — the encouragement of young plants giving better 
results. 
The second year’s crop is generally very large, and, on our 
soil, is the best the plantation yields. There is not room the 
second year for further extension of the rows in breadth, but 
by that time the food supply is beginning to fail ; the flush of 
their growth is past; they grow moderately, and so on the old 
plants set hard buds freely. In winter we top-dress the whole by 
riddling fine decayed manure over them, and this enables them 
to perfect another good crop, when down they go.—A North 
Briton. 
SEASONABLE NOTES. 
Drying Onions. —“ A Kitchen Gardener,” at page 238, 
gives some seasonable remarks on the harvesting of Onions, which 
no doubt will suit numbers of your readers who are similarly 
situated to your correspondent. However, there are doubtless 
others who, like myself, would never save an Onion by the process 
named. In our district the ground is generally saturated by 
September, and we think it early when our Onions are fit to pull 
then. The bulbs are spread out in a Melon pit when the soil is 
dry, and through which the wind is allowed to whistle. When 
the air is saturated a little heat is kept in the pipes. A vinery 
from which the fruit is cut is also a good place. Coolness and 
dryness are essential, and if the Onions are spread in a close and 
warm structure they will be spoiled. 
Dianthus Napoleon III.—We notice some writers who re¬ 
commend this very useful plant state that it is not easily kept 
through the winter. One says that in order to keep it he lifts 
and places the plants in a frame. Striking cuttings, which be¬ 
come plentiful in autumn, and keeping them as ordinary Pinks 
are kept, we consider a better plan, as young plants give much 
better results than an old one. Ours propagated thus, and planted 
out in April in liberally manured soil, are still (Sept. 20th) bloom¬ 
ing. We know of no other plant that, will give such a number of 
flowers from the same space and over such a period as will this. 
It ought to be of extreme value for market purposes. 
Propagating Violas. —Violas are in a large number of cases, 
perhaps in the majority, very badly treated. They are generally 
propagated too early and in much too sandy and poor soil, and 
unsuitable cuttings are employed. If growers would have a little 
patience until the cool moist nights come, and then pull off the 
springing shoots when they are about 2 or 3 inches long and have 
small roots at their base, and then plant them in frames (or boxes 
to be afterwards placed in frames), employing rich soil, instead 
of taking rootless cuttings and planting them in poor sandy soil, 
they would be astonished at the results. Dividing the old plants 
in spring we only mention to condemn. Violas in frames should 
not be coddled, it weakens them. The lights should only be 
used during hard frost, and to keep off rains. They should be 
planted out on thoroughly dug and enriched soil not later than 
