Jaly 17, 1890. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
55 
the fruit after it changes colour causes it to be spotted, and the least 
speck ruins a large fruit. 
Liquid manure may be given every alternate watering until the fruit 
commences ripening, when it must be discontinued. The drainings of 
stables, farm or dung yards diluted with six times the bulk of water are 
good, but their great drawback is their uncertain strength. A peck of 
sheep manure to 30 gallons of water makes an excellent liquid manure, 
and so does cow and fowl manure. Guano 1 lb. to 20 gallons of water is 
handy and suitable. The liquid in all cases must equal in temperature 
that in which the plants are growing, and it must be kept from the 
foliage and fruit. 
Flowering. —If placed in a strong heat at once the flowers may 
unfold, but the stamens generally turn black or shrivel, and the pistils 
also become black or abortive. This sometimes is a consequence of 
immature crowns, but it often arises from bringing on the plants too 
rapidly. A light sprinkling may assist in liberating the pollen, but it is 
best omitted. Ventilate early and freely ; avoid sudden fluctuations or 
depressions of temperature, cold currents of air, and a moist confined 
atmosphere. Brush the flowers lightly on a fine day when the pollen is 
ripe with a camel’s-hair brush, a bunch of feathers, or a plume of 
Pampas Grass. Air in motion will do it just as well, and a sharp gentle 
rapping on the lower part of the trusses is good. 
Thinning the Flowers and Fruit. —This is a necessary and not difficult 
matter, as the trusses have all the best flowers at the lower part, and 
when the trusses have about half their flowers expanded the buds on the 
upper part may be removed. La Grosse Sucrde does not give half the 
flowers of Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury, and it would be unwise to thin 
the flowers of the former as much as the latter. Half a dozen fruits on 
La Grosse Sucrde correspond to nine or a dozen on Vicomtesse Hericart 
de Thury. A dozen fruit is a full crop on the former, two dozen on the 
latter. This, however, is not an average. Six good fruit on La Grosse 
Sucrde and a dozen on Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury are nearer the 
mark than the larger or rouble number, and the six or twelve may be 
quite as heavy as the dozen or two respectively. A dozen fruits on 
Auguste Nicaise or Noble will swell to a size and weigh equal to a half 
dozen of Sir Joseph Paxton or President. The crown or king fruit 
always takes the lead, and if the fruits are wanted these only should be 
retained. 
Supporting the Fruit. —Forked twigs of Birch, Hazel, Hornbeam, 
&c., form the best supports for the fruit, cutting them into suitable 
lengths, the lower end pointed and thrust into the soil at such an angle 
and position as will best suit the trusses and support the fruit above the 
foliage or clear of the pot. The trusses or individual fruits have their 
stems placed in the fork, so that the fruit will be clear of the stick, pot, 
and foliage. Small stakes, and the fruit stem secured to them with 
string, will be found useful in the case of large fruit which is much more 
liable to damage than medium or small fruit. 
Gathering the Fruit. —Morning should as far as practicable be the 
time of gathering Strawberries, and the fruit should be just ripe, which 
requires some experience and judgment with different varieties. Always 
gather with sufficient stem to hold the fruit by. 
Betarding the Fruit. —At times the fruit comes on too rapidly, and it 
is necessary to keep it back in order to maintain the succession, or reserve 
it for particular occasion. It is no use, however, striving to retard 
the fruit before it is swelled and well advanced in colour, then much 
may be done by turning the fruit from the sun, or removing the plants 
to a north house, where plenty of air can be admitted, and with all the 
light possible, without sun, the fruit will ripen perfectly ; indeed, sun- 
heated fruits when the plants lack moisture at the roots, are never so 
juicy as those not sun-dried, nor so pleasing in flavour. A single thick¬ 
ness of tiffany shading will prevent the fruit ripening so fast, the tem¬ 
perature being kept at 60° to 65°, and the atmosphere well ventilated. 
The fruit may be kept on the plants in a cool airy fruit room when it is 
ripe, and have the shutters down so as to admit light. In such position 
it will keep a few days. 
Maintaining the Succession. —Plants introduced about the middle 
of November will afford fruit from the middle of February to March, 
and to maintain a regular succession until the open air fruit comes in 
plants must be introduced every three weeks up to early May. Orchard 
houses and fruit wall cases are invaluable for affording late supplies. 
Insects. —Caterpillars are sometimes troublesome. They are best 
removed by hand-picking. Aphides attacking plants outdoors may be 
destroyed by watering or sprinkling them with tobacco juice diluted 
with six times the quantity of water. Tbrips and red spider will be 
killed by dipping the infested leaves in a solution of softsoap, 2 ozs. to 
the gallon of water. A grub gets into the crown and eats out the heart 
bud, the plants consequently are blind. Examination of the plants in 
late summer will mostly be rewarded by finding the pest about the base 
of the crown. Aphides infest the scales of the crowns when the plants 
are in frames. Sprinkling with the tobacco water is the best cure. 
Inside the forcing structures aphides multiply rapidly on the swelling 
crown and infest the trusses as soon as they appear. A sharp look-out 
should be kept for them. Fumigate thoroughly, and repeat if necessary 
until the flowers are showing colour. After the fruit is set fumiga¬ 
tion must be done very moderately and carefully, as the fruit will be so 
dried or injured that it will not swell freely. The tender foliage also 
is injured by excess of tobacco smoke. Red spider will not trouble if 
syringing be attended to. If it obtain a footing on the foliage sponging 
with soapy water is the best remedy. 
Results.— Fruit from mid-February to mid-June certain. La Grosse 
Sucr6e and Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury, giving fruit of half to one 
ounce each, 1 oz. to 1J oz. is the top weight of those kinds, and half 's 
pound a fair average weight of the produce per plant. Sir Joseph 
Paxton and President in their finest examples reach 1 j to 2 ozs., and 
give as an average f lb. per plant, Sir Joseph Paxton being the heavier. 
Sir Charles Napier will afford fruit of similar size to those last named 
and heavier if well thinned, and 1 lb. weight per plant, and in the same 
category as to size may be placed British Queen and Dr. Hogg, but a les¬ 
sened weight per plant by a ^ lb., but then the quality tells, or ought, only 
buyers will not see it. Auguste Nicaise and Noble reach 2 ozs. per fruit 
individually, and 2 lbs. per plant respectively occasionally, but a fan- 
average for those is 1 oz. per fruit and 1 lb. per plant. Those are not 
sensational weights neither of individual fruit or plant, but they are 
such as attend good culture, and cannot be attained without high aim. 
Under common culture the results are about half.— G. Abbey. 
HORTICULTURAL SHOWS. 
WINCHESTER. 
This was held in conjunction with the Royal Counties Agricultural 
Show in the ancient city on the 8th inst. Taking the Exhibition all 
round it was considered by far the best that has been held. This was 
largely due to the fact that this Society is managed so well by the Com¬ 
mittee, of which Mr. F. W. Flight is Chairman, and a thorough 
enthusiast in gardening, ably assisted by Mr. Chaloner -Shenton, the 
courteous and industrious Honorary Secretary. 
Roses. —Considering the unfavourable state of the weather lately 
experienced it was surprising to see how well these were presented. 
They were not large, but of good form, colour, and freshness, making a 
great display. The principal class was for forty-eight distinct single 
trusses. The display was a grand one. After a close inspection the 
Judges awarded premier honours to Mr. Benjamin R. Cant, Colchester, 
the bloom9 being rather larger and more solid than those in the second 
prize stand, which, however, were rather more highly coloured. The 
following were the varieties : —Back row : Thomas Mills, Dupuy 
Jamain, especially fine ; Madame Eugene Verdier, Camille Bernardin, 
Duchesse de Morny, Marie Baumann, Madame Isaac Pereire, Merveille de 
Lyon, Susanne Marie Rodocanachi, Earl of Dufferin, very fine ; Madame 
C. Vigneaux, Annie Wood, extra ; Edward Herve, Ulrich Brunner, La 
France, and Alfred Colomb. Middle row : Marshall P. Wilder, Her 
Majesty, Sultan of Zanzibar, Franqois Michelon, Madame Prosper Laugier, 
Marie Verdier, Sir Rowland Hill, Earl of Pembroke, very full ; Prince 
Camille de Rohan,Niphetos, Dukeof Edinburgh, Mrs. John Laing, G6ndr»l 
Jacqueminot, Madame Gabriel Luizet, Victor Hugo, and Baroness 
Rothschild. Front row : Charles Lefebvre, Le Havre, neat ; Madame 
Bravy, Eclair, Souvenir d’un Ami, Horace Vernet, Madame de Watte- 
ville, Lady Helen Stewart, John Hopper, Beauty of Waltham, grand;. 
Comtesse de Serenye, Marechal Vaillant, Souvenir de la Malmaison, 
Prince Arthur, Souvenir d’EIise, A. K. Williams, rich. Mr. Frank Cant 
was an extremely close second, his most noteworthy blooms being 
General Jacqueminot, Prince Arthur, Niphetos, The Bride, Mrs. J'. 
Laing, Earl of Dufferin, and Beauty of Waltham. For twenty-four 
distinct trebles Mr. Frank turned the tables on his rival somewhat 
easily by winning with blooms especially bright in colour and of good 
form, although not large. Messrs. Keynes, Williams & Co., Salisbury, 
were third with a good collection. 
For eighteen Tea or Noisette varieties the first prize was adjudged to 
Mr. B. R. Cant for rather small blooms of the following Catherine 
Mermet, good; Innocente Pirola, Jules Finger, Madame Margottin, 
Niphetos, Souvenir d’un Ami, Marie Van Houtte, Comtesse de Nadaillae, 
Madame Cusin, Souvenir d’EIise, Madame Lambard, fine ; Madame de- 
Watteville, The Bride, Luciole, Madame Hoste, Francis Kruger^ 
Devoniensis, and Marechal Niel. Mr. Frank Cant followed, Innocente 
Pirola, Anna Ollivier, The Bride, and Madame Lambard being the best. 
Messrs. Keynes, Williams & Co., were third. The prizes went in the same 
order for trebles of twelve varieties of Teas or Noisettes. 
In the class for twenty-four Roses, distinct, Messrs. Kejnes, Williams 
and Co. were easily first, staging grand blooms in the following order 
Back row : La France, Madame Victor Verdier, Madame Eugene 
Verdier, full; Senateur Vaisse, Mrs. J. Laing, Louis Van Houtte,. 
Francois Michelon, and Earl of Dufferin. Middle row : A. K. Williams, 
Ulrich Brunner, full and rich; Marshall Wilder, good; Catherine 
Mermet, Etienne Levet, Her Majesty, Madame C. Wood, and Merveille 
de Lyon. Front row : Marie Verdier, Beauty of Waltham, Alphonse 
Soupert, Charles Lefebvre, Madame de Watteville, Marshall P. Wilder, 
The Bride, and Heinrich Schultheis. Second, Messrs. Perkins & Son, 
Coventry, with small but neat and fresh blooms. Mr. E. Hillier, 
Winchester, was a good third. 
For twelve blooms of any dark variety of Hybrid Perpetual there 
were six entries, a stand of A. K. Williams from Messrs. Perkins and 
Sons being much the best, medium size, wonderfully fresh, and good in 
colour, with small but exquisitely coloured blooms of Prince Arthur. 
Mr. B. R. Cant took second honours, Messrs. Keynes being third with 
Ulrich Brunner. For the same number of blooms of any light variety 
Mr. Frank Cant secured first honours with fresh well coloured examples 
of Mrs. J. Laing ; Mr. B. R. Cant second with Merveille de Lyon. For 
twelve blooms of any one variety of Tea or Noisette Mr. B. R. Cant 
was first with Madame de Watteville, Messrs. Keynes second with The 
Bride. 
The following classes, not open to nurserymen, made a capital show. 
Some excellent blooms were staged. For twenty-four distinct three 
