86 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 31,1S90. 
“market men” devote themselves almost exclusively to Ferns, 
and there are several growers around the metropolis who derive a 
substantial income from the sale of these plants alone. Wherever 
cut flowers are a special feature in market nurseries Ferns are 
grown extensively as well, and a consignment of flowers for sale 
would be deemed incomplete without its accompanying proportion 
of Fern fronds. The extension of the cut flower business has 
induced a corresponding increase in the demand for suitable 
foliage, and the result has been that a great stimulus has been 
given to the culture of Ferns. Of course, few species are grown 
for this purpose, Adiantum cuneatum and its variety gracillimum 
largely predominating ; but amongst the importations we have 
several others, and it might in some cases be worth the attention 
of market growers whether they could not add to their stock of 
varieties. 
A he Conference arrangements furnished subjects of consider¬ 
able interest to students of Fern-life, and even some who have not 
paid special attention to the peculiar phenomena for which these 
plants are remarkable found the papers sufficiently interesting or 
novel to retain them in the Conference tent for nearly two hours. 
Mr. J. G. Baker, who was to have taken the chair, was prevented 
doing so, and Dr. M. T. Masters very ably performed the necessary 
duties. Professor Bower dealt exhaustively with the systematic 
relations of Ferns, but this admirable paper was a little too abstruse 
for the general public. Mr. E. J. Lowe contributed a valuable 
dissertation on Hybrid Ferns, in which he referred to the extra 
ordinary experiments he has conducted, and illustrated the success 
which has attended his efforts by numbers of the fine specimens 
included in his group. Mr. C. T. Druery discoursed about 
Plumose Ferns in his usual lucid and interesting manner, and 
Mr. J. Birkenhead explained the culture of hardy Ferns in a 
practical and useful paper. Some discussion followed the various 
papers, but each lecturer had so fully and clearly treated the 
subjects entrusted to him that there was little room for questions. 
The business concluded with the customary votes of thanks to the 
Chairman and readers, and the Fern lovers present separated with 
the hope that an opportunity will be afforded another year for 
a similar Exhibition and Conference. 
STRAWBERRIES—LEAVES versus FRUIT. 
Although much has been recently advanced in the pages of 
the Journal of Horticulture on Strawberry culture, I shall yet 
venture to offer a paper, the heading of which A?as down in my 
note book long before I read Mr. Wright’s admirable contribution 
to StraAvberry literature. What Mr. Bunyard has to say upon 
1 . same subject must also be treated with every respect, the 
writer having had great experience in all matters pertaining to 
fiuit culture generally. At the same time I am sorry his remarks 
have appeared in our journal, for it is my belief they will serve 
to undo much of the good work that Mr. Wright had started, 
gardeners being somewhat apt to form hasty conclusions. Mr. 
Wright gives an instance of remarkable success attending the 
practice of manuring from the surface only, and his deductions in 
connection ivith this method of culture are undoubtedly sound, and 
altogether the paper ought to have proven most instructive to 
private gardeners. Then comes Mr. Bunyard’s paper, in which he 
advocates digging or trenching in from 35 tons to 50 tons of 
manure to the acre, and this is a “ floorer,” at least it was thought 
to be such when I happened to be arguing with another gardener 
on the subject of manuring the ground for Strawberries. My 
friendly opponent after hearing what I had to say against a too 
free use of solid manure, quietly produced Mr. Bunyard’s con¬ 
tribution to the Strawberry Conference, which at that time I had 
not read, and asked what I had to say in opposition to the expe¬ 
rience of this expert. If I ventured to repeat all I had to urge 
against it as far as private gardeners are concerned, the Editor 
would perhaps, think it necessary to “boil it down” considerably, 
but I shall endeavour to condense it somewhat. 
In the first place private gardens, having been long in cultiva¬ 
tion, are naturally richer in some forms of manure, though deficient 
in others notably potash—this alone giving the plants a tendency 
u° rm n fa V to ° foliage. Added to this they are usually 
sheltered, often unduly so, this likewise favouring the production 
of long stems and much foliage. What therefore may be sound' 
practice in the open fields would perhaps be altogether wrong in a 
private garden, and of this not a few gardeners must have had 
ample proof this season. A superabundance of strong foliage- 
usually results in comparatively light crops, and should the soil 
prove to be very loose as well as heavily manured the chances are- 
there will be little or no fruit. Even if these overgrown plants do 
produce very heavy crops these are invariably late in ripening, and 
in bad or dull showery Aveather large quantities fail to ripen. 
Tons of fruit have spoilt on the ground in private gardens this 
season, but I can truthfully assert we have not had 4 lbs. of Straw¬ 
berries spoilt from any cause other than what birds damaged. The 
reason for this is not far to seek. Our foliage is sturdy, and the 
clusters of fruit were throAvn out well clear of it all round, and no 
difficulty whatever was experienced as far as ripening was con¬ 
cerned. 
When I first commenced gardening in Essex, and in a district- 
where Strawberries Avere very extensively grown for the markets,, 
it Avas pointed out by a friend that not only were much heavier 
crops of fine fruit grown in the open fields than I should obtain in 
a sheltered highly cultivated garden, but it would also be found 
that the quality of the former was decidedly superior. Bottu 
assertions proved to be facts, and if private gardeners generally 
could pay a visit to the open fields Avhile the Strawberries were at 
their best, a good deal of conceit would be taken out of them as ifi 
was out of me. A few years ago, it will be remembered, I arguedi 
strongly against injudicious trenching, and it was the experience 
gained among the market farmers that partly tended to confirm me 
in my prejudice in favour of firm ground for many crops. That 
Strawberries ought to have such there is no disputing, and it is- 
very little manure that is needed at the outset. It is fruit, not 
leaves, we all ought to strive to grow, and the plants on solid and 
comparatively poor ground that are best calculated to give the 
most satisfactory results. First go the right way to promote 
the formation of abundance of strong trusses of bloom thrown 
up well above the foliage, then surface dress with special manure,, 
or something in which potash abounds (we use wood ashes 
freely), and folloAV with a heavy mulch of strawy manure before 
a dry time may reasonably be anticipated. Autumn or winter 
mulching is a mistake, this doing more harm than good, nor 
should the surface be stirred with any tool other than a Dutch 
hoe. 
A free use of manure and deep cultivation is recommended 
frequently for the twofold reason that ground thus treated is not 
so quickly affected by drought as that less expensively prepared, 
and it also keeps the plants in a profitable state very much longer. 
The question is, Which do we most often suffer from, drought or 
too much moisture ? The latter assuredly, and this being so our 
method of culture ought to be adopted accordingly. Then as- 
regards the longevity of the beds, I would ask, Why study this at 
all ? In the majority of cases the plants rarely produce really 
good crops after the third year, and there is little sense in longer 
keeping them on the ground. We take no more pains here with 
Strawberries than with most other crops in the kitchen garden, 
and never hesitate to root them up when they have ceased to pro¬ 
duce fine fruit in abundance. The ground intended for them is- 
first Avell prepared but not trenched for early Potatoes, and these 
are lifted, the ground cleared of rubbish, levelled and trampled in- 
time to plant Strawberries about the first Aveek in August. If 
strong plants are put out, and these do well, a good early crop is 
taken from them during the first season, but if from any cause 
they are Aveakly then we pinch off the bloom, and by so doing 
save nets, and secure fine strong plants for the following season. 
Not unfrequently Tripoli Onions or salading of some kind is grown 
between the toavs of Strawberries, and directly the latter have 
ripened off their last crop and yielded what runners are needed 
they are cut off with a spade, the ground cleared but not dug, and 
at once cropped with either Broccoli or Savoys. Ours is in a reten¬ 
tive clayey soil, but, as Mr. Wright has shown, exactly the opposite 
kind of root run, treated very similarly, answers surprisingly well. 
In order to further demonstrate Avhat poor solid ground will do, 
I will briefly state our experience this season Avith the much 
despised Alice Maud, but Avhich under field culture is yet one of 
the best that can be grown. In the autumn of 1888 I received 
sufficient runners to form tivo rows 2(3 yards long, and they were 
dibbled out on undug ground previously occupied by Spinach. 
Last year they were not allowed to fruit, this year they were, and 
I rather think proved eye-openers for some that saw them and 
knew the old variety. Every plant was completely surrounded by 
fruit, the largest of these Aveighing from 1 oz. to 1^- oz., the colour 
being a bright red, and the quality excellent. After we had 
gathered from these rows about six times I weighed all that were 
ripe on one of the plants carrying a fair average crop. There were 
twenty fruits weighing 15 ozs., and a fair ayerage for the lot would 
