July 29, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
85 
Nothing of the sort. It is a difficulty that cannot be overcome in 
any other way, and establishes no fact in this case. 
Now for cutting the young growth or “sprue.” When I was a 
lad my place was to serve the kitcheD. The chief was nearly four¬ 
score. Cut all the heads as thick or thicker than the thumb for th3 
“room,” any smaller cut for the pigs; cut all. These were my 
instructions, yet there were, I think, twenty beds I was not to cut at 
all. These were for forcing, and I certainly should have liked to 
have had a “ cut in ” at them many a time, for the heads were neither 
too large nor too plentiful for the supply ia the permitted ground. 
After a time I was told to leave some of the grass; only cut the 
strongest, and where there were many together thin some of them 
out. Peas came in in June. The Asparagus was less called for, but 
I was to keep on cutting until the 10th Juue, then I was not to cut 
any without consulting him. Peas did not come on fast enough. I 
had many a “ cut in ” at the Asparagus after the 10th ; in fac^, we 
ceased on the 21st. The bed or plantation was too thick of grass. 
We cut so that the grass could have light and air, thinned it where 
thick, cutting away the weak, and leaving the strong. The Aspara¬ 
gus had been so treated the last fifty years, the old man said, and he 
was considered clever in a kitchen garden, but I hardly think the 
beds in quesiion were more than twenty-nine years old. We did not 
let the grass grow up in any shape until May was far spent, certainly 
none until after the middle of the month in an early season, and the 
earlier the season the sooner we left off cutting the grass. Did the 
practice answer ? It answered well for those times, but I have grown 
much finer Asparagus heads in three years than were then grown in six 
—i e., from seed. I followed the old plan on ray own account some 
years, but as “sprue” was never much valued I gave up growing it, 
and simply let the grass grow until it gave heads fit to cut, and I have 
every reason to be satisfied with the result ; only seeding was pre¬ 
vented as much as possible by cutting first growths having that 
tendency, as seeding weakens the plants considerably. There is 
much to be said both for and against both practices. Gutting small 
early grass is no great injury—it may even strengthen the buds that 
remain ; but I find a good haulm iufinitely more so, especially ti 
young plants : yet thinning, judiciously practised, can only have one 
effect—namely, strengthening those growths that are to remain for 
forming buds to furnish the next year’s crop. There is one thing, 
however, that cannot be too strongly impressed upon the minds of 
growers of this esteemed vegetable, and that is not to cut more grass 
after the beginning of June than can be helped, and none at all after 
the middle of that month. The necessity of thinning at that time 
or soon after will be apparent ; but this is not so important bow as 
thirty years ago, through the plants being now given fully twice the 
space or more as obtained at that period.— G. Abbey. 
I should like to have a line in on the above subject. I have a 
fine piece of Asparagus sown in 1832, and planted in 1884, 2 feet 
apart in rows, the same distance asunder on the level, and I have not 
seen anything yet to match it. Last year, it being fairly strong, I 
was foidi&h enough to cut it too late— u> to July, with the result that 
this spring I saw it was wrong. Then I decided not to cut for use 
or sale, but simply to keep all weak growths down. I did so weekly, 
and the sight now is good. However, having a quantity, I varied 
my treatment by cutting a few in the usual wav, cutting all the heads 
down of some others, except two or three of the stronger, and these 
are undoubtedly the best, and are now throwing up heads as thick as 
m y fingers. Some I left entirely alone, but I think this is wrong, at 
they are now a mass of crowded growths. In the case of the two or 
three best first crowns which were left the strength of growth is 
marvellous,standing 6 or 7 feet high, with the finest seed pods 1 ever saw. 
When commencing cutting, I ihiuk if two or three of the strongest 
crowns were left alone, and all but these cut away as usual, we 
should he on the right track. I think cutting the strong and leaving 
the weak is wrong. I have gone so far as to select one crown only, 
and left it to grow alone. The result I will note next year. I 
believe there is more in the cutting than growing. My main bed is 
36 yards by 17 yards. I have also a bed the same length, 4 yards 
wide, just as it was sown. The rows, howev r, are 3 feet apart, as I 
took up every alternate row for planting. This seed bed, though not 
so strong, caused by the plants being thicker, looks very' promising. 
Some of this I have thiuned and kept to three or four crowns, but 
most of it I have let grow wild. I expect something good will come 
from my single crowns, and also the two or three or four clu ups. In 
any case I fail to see what good the weak sprue can be to the 
plant. I prefer keeping all down until I have done cutting, then 
leaving a few good shoots. Anyreider of the Journal is welcome 
to see my Asparagus.— Stephen Castle Went Lynn. 
ORCHID NOMENCLATURE. 
In reference to Onci tium raacrun'hum Souttuatei, mentioned in t^e 
Journal, p. 66, I think that the Royal Horticultural Society has no right 
to authorise a Latin name of this character, because the use of a Latin 
name, constructed as this wa=, would imply that the plant had been duly 
named, registered, and described or figured by competent authority; 
whereas it was clear that this was a chance variety which made its 
appearance in the exhibitor’s Orchid house, and to which the exhibitor or 
his gardener had applied the name without attempting to describe it. 
If a botanical name be given it should he in conformity with botanical 
usage, if a garden name be given there i9 no law to prevent anyone doing 
as be pleases. 0. crispum Hrubyanum was, I believe, authoritatively 
named and described by Prof. Reichenbach. If so the name must stand, 
if not it should be called Hruby’s variety. The Committee should, for 
the avoidance of confusion, uphold law and order, but, of course, it cannot 
control individuals, and if Baron Hruby or Mr. Southgate choose to call 
their plants Hrubyanum or Southgatei there is nothing to prevent them, 
only the Society should not recognise unau'horised names.—A Botanist. 
CULTIVATION OF THE STRAWBERRY. 
( Continued, from page G2 .) 
FORCING STRAWBERRIES. 
Varieties. —Perhaps no fruit is so generally acceptable as 
forced Strawberries. It is the first ripe, and the most readily 
accommodated, for the amateur can have good dishes from 
plants on the shelves of bis greenhouse. It is essential that 
free setters, good f swellers, free cropping varieties be selected for 
forcing, the fruit large and highly coloured, bright, shining, and 
fresh. Dull-coloured fruits, however good in flavour, find no 
favour at table or market. The varieties are best divided into 
sections, as they are not all equally influenced by beat, and are 
differently affected by time of forcing. 
I. —Varieties for starting before the new year for the early 
crops — La Grosse Sucree, Vicomtesse Hericart de Thux-y 
(Garibaldi), Princess Frederick William. 
II. —Varieties for starting with the new year for second early 
crops—Sir Harry, Bothwell Bank Prolific, Empress Eugenie. 
III. —Varieties for starting by the middle of February for 
midseason crops—President, Marshal MacMahon, Sir Charles 
Napier. 
IV. —Varieties for late crops requiring to be brought forward 
very gently and not subjected to artificial beat before early 
March —British Queen, Dr. Hogg Cockscomb. 
The best of each section are, all points considered, I, Vicom- 
tesse Hericart de T bury; 11, Bothwell Bank Prolific; III, Pre¬ 
sident; IV, Dr. Hogg. Two of each section—I, La Grosse 
Sucree and Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury; I 1 , Sir Harry 
Bothwell Bank Prolific ; III, President and Sir Charles Napier 
IV, British Queen and Dr. Hogg. A few good sorts grown well 
are better than a number of varieties. Three of each section 
are .— 
I —King of the Earlies, Black Prince, and Pauline. II — 
Ne Plus Ultra Duke of Edinburgh (Moffat), and Sir Joseph 
Paxton. Ilf.—Sir John Falstaff, James Veitch, and Prince of 
Wales (Ingram). IV —Mr. Radclyffe, Premier, and La Con- 
stante. Perhaps the richest in flavour of all forced Straw¬ 
berries are Filbert Pine and Myatt’s Eliza. 
A dozen varieties for very large fruit in cool houses, such as 
orchard houses. Peach cases, &c, irrespective of quality, are 
Marguerite, Abd el Kader, Mammoth, Goliath (Kitley’s), 
Eleanor, James Veitch, Sir Charles Napier, President, Dr. Hogg, 
Cockscomb. British Queen, and Carolina Superba. The king 
fruit should be retained of each truss, and not more than three 
or four fruits taken on each plant. For general purposes a few 
reliable sorts are much the best. Mr. R. Gilbert, wiio grows 
Strawberries well, relies on four sorts—La Grosse Sucree, 
Vicomte se Hericart de Thury, Burgbley President, and Sir 
Charles Napier. All are of good size, colour, set and swell 
freely, and finish well Burgbley President is a selected form 
of that popular variety, the one Strawberry for any soil and 
purpose. 
Plants for Forcing. —Early runners are always desired 
by the Strawberry forcer. Late runners of the previous year 
kept in small pots, or pricked out in nursery beds and placed in 
spring into small pots, and transferred to the larger size in 
June, have been advocated with a view to obtaining an early 
mitured growth. These have two great faults —1, Forming a 
number of crowns or fruit buds; 2, Ripening early the plants 
start the buds prematurely, often as early as September. These 
are fata 1 objections. Runners are sometimes taken from forced 
plants, being detached when they have a leaf or two and are 
showing roots, pottel, and establish din a close frame, haidened, 
and given the largest p ts in July. These also have a tendency 
to form a number of crowns, and to start into fruit prematurely 
These plants are not advisable. They with late runners are 
weak, and do not form a strong central crown or bud. Stron 
