150 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 19, 1886. 
Applications of softsoap, sulphur, and Gishurst were tried 
with little effect, and the only course has seemed to be 
destroying the infected plants and obtaining fresh stock. In 
cool moist seasons the fuugus has been less troublesome, and 
on one or two occasions there was a partial recovery that 
induced some to hope tbe pest had been conquered; but each 
hot, dry, succeeding summer restored its devastating powers 
to the fullest extent. 
There is little doubt in my mind that one cause which has 
contributed greatly to rendering the Hollyhock more liable to 
the attacks of this fungus is the system of rapid propagation 
by cuttings. No sooner has a fine new variety been secured 
and a demand created than the utmost efforts have been made 
to increase the stock, the plants have been grown under glass, 
in heat, to obtain all the cuttings possible. It seems quite 
clear that this process continued during many years has 
gradually weakened the constitution of what is naturally a 
hardy plant, and thus rendered it especially liable to the 
attacks of a fungus like the Puccinia. A liberal system of 
culture, having the plants as hardy and sturdy as possible, 
and propagation by seeds are the most likely means of pro¬ 
curing a race of Hollyhocks free from the fungus, or at least 
to diminish the virulence of its attacks. Probably the fact 
that Hollyhocks have been increased more by seed recently 
may have had something to do with their improved health and 
freedom from disease this season; in any case I think a sub¬ 
stantial advance has been made in the right direction, and we 
may expect to see Hollyhocks once more holding the place 
they so well merit. —Suburbanist. 
CULTIVATION OF THE STRAWBERRY. 
C Continued from page 134.) 
FORCING VARIETIES. 
Placing in Position. —Stand the plants on the shelves at 
such distance that they will stand clear of each other. If there 
is to be a removal of plants after they have set the fruit they 
may be closer together than were no such removal to take place, 
but the plants must have room for the expansion of their foliage 
without crowding, light and air being essential alike to growth, 
flowering, setting, swelling, and ripening About a foot apart is 
a suitable distance- What about turve3 on the shelves, troughs 
filled with manure, and saucers ? 1 have tried all, and the results 
were not better than by placing on the bare shelves, whether 
they were stone, slate, board, lattice, or iron grate. Neither the 
turves nor manure troughs save watering, but encourage the roots 
passing into the turf and manure, and prevent the plants being 
moved until the fruit is ripe Saucers are not used until the fruit 
is fairly swelling, and they are removed as soon as the fruit has 
swelled. They, however, are not material if only care is taken in 
watering. The saucers, nevertheless, are valuable when the plants 
occupy positions where drip from them would be fatal to their 
being present through the more important value of crops beneath. 
Drip from Strawberries on shelves in Peach houses, Fig houses, 
vineries, Melon and Cucumber houses, Pine stoves, or elsewhere, 
is highly objectionable. I have had Strawberries on shelves at 
the upper part of the back wall of a Peach house, and drip from 
the pots when the Peach trees were in blossom converted the 
pollen into paste. Saucers are useful in such cases, better still 
are the ledges on the edges of the shelves and the zinc tubes before 
alluded to to carry the water to the ground, and best of all is to 
have the shelves so placed that the drip will not fall on anything 
of consequence. In that case saucers a.re not necessary, and 
they certainly ai-e not essential. 
Temperature. —The frame treatment will allow the usual keep¬ 
ing cool for a fortnight being dispensed with. Commence with 45° 
to 50° as the artificial temperature. This should be continued for a 
week, and in the course of another it may be raised 5°, or to 50° or 
55° by artificial means It must be kept steady at these, 55° being 
the day temperature, and 50° the night. ( n very cold nights the 
temperature may be allowed to fall 5°, but the heat must be 
turned on or the fire set to work so that the temperature will be 
raised an hour after daybreak, or if very dull and cold 5‘ less 
may be allowed through the day. This will only retard the pro¬ 
cess, and it has the advantage of being safe. With sun the 
temperature may rise 5° on a cloudy day with occisional clear 
intervals, 10° with about as much sun as cloud alternating, and 
15° with a c^ar sky, and in all cases closing should be practised 
so early as to advance 5° if possible on the days and tempera¬ 
ture indicated. These temperatures should be continued and 
prevail until the fruit is set,"when it may be slightly increased, 
advancing 5° in the course of a week, and.5 u more in the 
course of a fortnight, which will bring the night temperature 
up to G0° or 65°, and the fruit will then be advanced in swelling, 
and bear a much higher temperature The temperature from sun 
heat will, of course, advance those from artificial means in the 
ratio before given—viz., 5’ on dull days with a little sun, 1U 
with sun and clouds alternating, and 15° on clear days. 
This stage of the fruit being reached, and the crop having to 
be finished in the same house, tbe night temperature should be 
kept at G5°, falling 5° on cold nights, and ruling 5 higher on 
warm nights, 70° to 75° by day from fire heat and 80 to 90 
through the day from sun heat. This can be continued until. the 
fruit begins to ripen, when a temperature of 60° to 65 at night 
and 70° to 75° by day will be all that is necessary, a high day 
temperature being kept down by admitting air more liberally. 
The fruit i 3 found to have better flavour than when ripened in a 
high and moist atmosphere. ... 
Ventilation. —Until growth is commencing little ventilation 
will be required, except when the temperature reaches the day 
limit. Closing should be effected sufficiently early to raise the 
heat 5° above the maximum day temperature Ventilate slightly 
at the top before nightfall, and let it rema.A constantly except 
when the house is closed in the afternoon This procedure is 
to be adopted throughout the whole of the forcing period, with 
but two exceptions—when the plants are flowering and when 
the fruit is ripening. At those times a circulation of air should 
be maintained constantly. 
Watering. —The plants should be attended to once a day in 
the early stages of growth, twice or three times a day when they 
are in free growth and their crops swelling. After the fruit 
begins to change for ripening water should only be given to 
prevent the foliage flagging. All water used should be tepid, a 
ew degrees warmer than the house 
Stringing. —Syringe the plants morning and afternoon up 
to the flowering period ; the exceptions are when the weather is 
dull and cold and the foliage does not get fairly, dry before 
night. A gentle sprinkling is the best, and not driving squalls 
from the syringe, wetting a plant here and there. In dull 
weather damping available surfaces in the morning and after¬ 
noon will be sufficient. It does not answer to keep the foliage 
dripping with moisture. When coming into flower avoid satu¬ 
rating the flowers with water, but a slight syringing will not do 
any harm until the flowers are fully expanded, when it is best 
discontinued. After flowering syringing may again be practised 
morning and early afternoon, discontinuing it as soon as the 
fruit gives the first indications of ripening. If continued later 
it is liable to cause the fruit to be spotted, and the least speck 
spoils a large fruit. . 
Feeding.— This is best effected by liquid manure. ihe 
surface dressing of horse droppings or decayed manure may be 
renewed from time to time, removing the old before applying the 
fresh. After setting is a good time to renew the mulch. A 
few weak applications of liquid manure may be given as the 
plants come into flower, but the chief thing is to feed when the 
plants are swelling the fruit. The drainings of stables, farm, or 
dung yards diluted with six times the bulk of water are good, 
but these are so variable in strength as to be of little value so 
highly diluted, and unless diluted they are at times so strong 
as to be positively injurious. Judgment must therefore be 
exercised in using such substance. A peck of sheep droppings 
to 30 gallons of water makes an excellent liquid manure, and so 
does the cow and fowl manure. Soot, at the rate of a peck to 
60 gallons of water, is good. Guano, 1 lb. to 20 gallons of water, 
sulphate of ammonia, 1 lb. to 30 gallons of water, may be men¬ 
tioned as suitable. The liquid in all cases should not be less in 
temperature when applied than that in which the plants are 
growing. Liquid manure may be given every alternate watering, 
and should cease when the fruit commences changing colour for 
ripening. In applying liquid manure it must not be poured 
upon the plant, but the foliage should be raised with one hand 
so that it can be poured from the pot with the other beneath the 
foliage and fruit. This must be done carefully, as any rough 
handling of the fruit will damage it, and its decay will be 
speedy. 
Flowering. —The plants must have perfected the flower 
buds, and they must have time to develope and form the organs 
of fructification, so as to secure complete fertilisation. This 
requires gradual development. If placed in a strong heat at 
once the flowers may unfold, the calyx and corolla suffer no 
injury, though the corolla is unusually short, the stamens may 
even assume their yellow colour, but generally turn, black or 
shrivel, and the pistils, instead of being a lively yellowish green, 
