[ August 4 1887. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
tion in this respect. To a certain extent, but not in the same quantity 
as root cuttings, they may be increased by division, and for cuttings 
these must be secured in spring just as growth commences. I? or pro¬ 
pagation by root cuttings, all that is necessary is to cut them into 
lengths of an inch or thereabouts, and place in a perpendicular position 
around the interior of some pots or pans in sandy soil, and if a gentle 
bottom heat, such as that afforded by a dung frame, be at hand this will 
make a capital place for them. Leave the apex of the root just emerging 
from the soil, and in a few weeks signs of new growth will be apparent. 
In large establishments or small—anywhere, in fact, where flowers are in 
demand in a cut state —these Gaillardias should be largely grown ; they 
continue for a week or ten days in perfection, and this during the recent 
hot weather, especially so if the flowers are cut in the early morn 
instead of in the heat of the day.—J. H. E. 
STRAWBERRIES FOR FORCING. 
Those that are in the habit of relying upon fruiting plantations 
to yield the supply of runners for next season’s plants for forcing in 
pots will this season experience some difficulty in securing the re¬ 
quisite number. The plants have been subjected to greater hard¬ 
ships than has been the case for many years. The long trying 
winter, followed by a late cold spring, and then six weeks of very 
hot dry weather, has affected the plants to such an extent that they 
have nearly collapsed under the strain of fruit-bearing. Such is 
the condition of plants on our light sandy soil. They certainly 
looked well and luxuriant until the fruit was set, and although a 
fortnight late gave promise of producing good runners ; but this 
hope has not been realised, for as the fruit swelled and the dry 
weather continued the perfecting of the crop proved too great a 
strain, and the plants are still practically runnerless ; in fact, what 
there is are poor and weakly, and would, if used for the purpose in 
view, be long before they attained sufficient strength to grow 
vigorously. 
Where a large stock of plants are required for forcing, the wisdom 
of planting annually in the early part of September, and the plants 
retained specially for this purpose by the removal of the flower 
trusses in spring, will commend itself more forcibly to the majority 
of cultivators. Many of the largest and best growers have long 
since recognised the value of this method of culture, whereby earlier 
and stronger runners can be obtained than can possibly be the case 
from plants that are exhausted by fruit-bearing. Runners from 
young plants are in the majority of cases free from red spider and 
yellow thrips, which in seasons like the present are certain to attack 
old plants that are carrying a heavy crop of fruit. If these plants 
become a prey to the insects the runners, if any are produced, are 
not likely to escape being attacked. If the system advised is practised 
most of the anxiety in securing good runners for layering will be re¬ 
moved, and valuable autumn and spring crops can be taken from 
the ground between the rows. For instance, Endive, Leeks, Cab¬ 
bage, Turnips, or any dwarf-growing Broccoli, such as Osborn’s 
Winter White. In spring the ground can be used for Lettuce, 
Radishes, early dwarf Cauliflowers, or any such purpose. Any of the 
autumn crops can be planted at the proper time and the Strawberry 
plants between them when ready ; this is our practice when w r e 
want a crop from the ground, which we invariably take both in the 
autumn and spring. 
Young plantations have this year, however, done worse with us 
than for at least a dozen years ; in fact, during my gardening career 
I do not remember such a scarcity of runners. Many plants failed 
in spring and many others have not grown well. We have generally 
had all layered by the middle of J uly, and all the earliest severed 
from the parents by the first week in August. It is questionable if 
we shall have all layered by that date. In the more southern parts 
of the country growers may be better situated for runners, but in 
the northern counties there is more to layer than has been layered. 
The prospect where the land is heavier and more retentive of 
moisture than ours may not be so gloomy. 
If we take into consideration the majority of seasons we have 
experienced lately, mulching early in the season for the purpose of 
arresting evaporation and insuring the ground about the plants 
remaining moist during dry weather might safely be regarded as a 
waste of time and labour. In many seasons this certainly has been 
the case, and mulching has not been needed for the purpose indi¬ 
cated. It is, however, a safe practice that should be more generally 
followed, for if the season proves of the most showery description 
no harm results to the plants from being mulched, and if the 
w r cather proves the reverse then the advantages of the system 
cannot well be over-estimated. Those that follow a judicious system 
of mulching have reaped the benefit this season in having stronger 
plants, better and earlier runners, than those whe ignore this method 
of culture. One half of our fruiting flat had the ground covered 
early with clean straw, and the other was delayed for at least a fort¬ 
night longer until the ground became dry. The result is that there 
is a marked difference in the appearance of the plants at the present, 
time, and the size and quality of the fruit has been much better 
on that portion where the ground was covered while in a moist 
state. 
For years we have been in the habit of layering into the large- 
pots, and we are firmly convinced that no other method can excel 
this one, for it is the most economical as regards labour, while the- 
results in spring are most satisfactory. The plants grow from the 
first without any check, which is not the case when layered in small 
pots, for they are too frequently dried up in their early stages, and 
invariably checked during the process of transferring them front 
the small to the fruiting pots. We carefully tested the matter 
some years ago by raising half our stock of plants on the one prin¬ 
ciple and half on the other, and the advantages throughout were 
in favour of those layered into their fruiting pots. 
Circumstances alter cases, and this year we foresaw the difficulty 
we should experience in getting runners, for the young plantation 
had not been mulched and the plants had not done so well. Previous 
to gathering fruit we went over the portion of fruiting plants that 
had been mulched and took every runner that had commenced ex¬ 
panding its leaves. These were potted in small pots, placed in a 
frame and kept close and shaded : they are now vigorous young 
plants well rooted ; in fact, nearly half of them have been trans¬ 
ferred into their fruiting pots and the remainder will be ready in a 
few days. Having plenty of frame room just now the plants will 
be given close treatment in frames until they commence rooting 
freely in their largest pots, when they will be hardened and stood 
outside. By this method we have secured a thousand good plants, 
which if they had remained on the parents would have made no¬ 
progress and many would have been destroyed by gathering the f ruiiT. 
These made such excellent progress in the small pots that we placed 
some three hundred fair sized runners into their large pots so as 
to save the labour of repotting them, and these are doing remarkably 
well ; so well, in fact, that we consider the plan an excellent one, 
especially for those who have abundance of frame room at liberty 
and who grow large numbers of plants for market purposes. 
Economy of labour must be the first consideration of those who 
grow with this object in view if they hope to be rewarded with 
satisfactory returns, and this is certainly a less laborious system of 
any I have yet practised, even than layering in the fruiting pots. 
I do not wish to convey the impression that growers for market 
only have to consider the easiest method of production, for in most 
private establishments at the present time economy of labour is 
and must be one of the first principles of management. 
Directly we observed that runners would not be very abundant 
a good number of plants in pots that produced the latest supplies 
of fruit were retained for the purpose of giving runners. They 
were hardened and stood for a time in a sheltered place to save as 
far as possible labour in watering. Under these conditions runners 
were put forth plentifully, and many of them are now sufficiently 
advanced for layering into pots. Before this is done, however, the 
plants should be brought to a more sunny position and their pots 
plunged to the rim, which will prevent the plants drying so rapidly 
as would otherwise be the case if fully exposed on the surface. A 
good number of plants plunged in pots in close proximity to the 
water supply will not entail much labour in keeping them supplied 
with water. Keeping the plants in their pots until all the runners 
required has been removed from them is a better practice than 
planting them out for the same purpose. If placed out they would 
have become seriously checked in addition to giving much trouble 
in watering, for the balls of roots of those grown in pots are very 
firm, and without very great care after planting out they could not 
be kept soaked with water. 
As soon as the stock for forcing in pots has been secured no 
time should be lost in raising those intended to form new planta¬ 
tions, either for fruiting next year or for affording runners for 
layering. For this purpose we prefer, because it entails the least 
labour, to cut off the runners and insert them in small pots and 
place them in a frame where they can be kept moist and shaded 
until rooted. If carefully hardened afterwards and planted during 
showery weather on well-prepared ground they will grow with¬ 
out the least check, and become well established before winter. 
We have inserted them in boxes and amongst leaf mould in frames, 
but they generally receive a check when planted out and stand still 
for a time in consequence. This should be avoided, and can be 
done, by placing them in small pots when severed from the parent 
plant.—A Northerner. 
THE RECENT DROUGHT. 
Although the recent drought did not commence until the 
beginning of June, it appears from an examination of the meteorological 
records that in most parts of the country the whole of the present 
year has been unusually dry. Up to the end of May the aggregate 
