418 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 1 *, 1889. 
specially invited to their home displays that they do not go away 
disappointed. 
If an exhibition like that of last week can be provided so 
quickly and such a good attendance be secured on rainy days, 
what may be expected if exhibitors have long notice to prepare 
for an event made widely known, and which may be fortunately 
held when the weather is as propitious as it was on this occasion 
uninviting ? 
Since the foregoing was in type we have received the following 
information :—“ At the meeting of the Society held on Tuesday, 
the Council received a short statement in regard to the result of 
the Temple Show, and thought that it was eminently satisfactory, 
bearing in mind the extremely bad weather which prevailed on the 
first day, and which prevented so many visiting it. Sir Trevor 
Lawrence, the President, read letters from Sir Henry Ponsonby 
regretting that Her Majesty had been unable to attend, and also 
from Sir Francis KnoUys that the Prince and Princess of Wales 
would have had much pleasure in attending if they had not had 
previous engagements. A letter of thanks was ordered to be sent 
to each of the Judges.” We are also informed tliat eighty-two 
candidates were proposed and unanimously elected Fellows of the 
Society. 
FORCED STRAWBERRIES—HOW TO PREVENT 
BAKREN PLANTS. 
According to the information given by “ T. J.” (page 405) in 
reference to his plants proving barren, the first mistake that he 
appears to have made was relying on two and four-year-old planta¬ 
tions for runners. Plants so raised lack that vigonr which is neces¬ 
sary to the production of strong bold well-ripened crowns early in 
the season. The energies of the fruiting plants are divided between 
the production of fruit and runners, the former having the first 
claim. Early runners produced by old plants at the flowering stage 
are quickly brought to a standstill as soon as the fruit commences 
swelling, seldom making any progress afterwards until the crop has 
been removed and heavy rains start the plants again into activity. 
The result is that plants raised from these late runners have the 
growth to make at the time of year when it should have been made. 
From all the varieties named, except Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury, 
I should expect a very large per-centage of barren plants when sub¬ 
jected to such treatment. But this variety, if true, seldom fails to 
fruit, even if the plants are small, but the crowns matured, this 
being indispensable. If “ T. J.” provide a young plantation from 
fruitful plants, prepared by layering in small pots or by cutting off 
the runners and starting them in a frame, and when well rooted 
planting them out 1 foot apart in rows 18 inches asunder during the 
month of August, so that they would be well established before 
winter, he would have a plantation from which he would secure 
luxuriant runners for layering early in the season. The only atten¬ 
tion after planting is to keep the ground free from weeds, make the 
plants firm in February, if lifted by frost, and then mulch the 
ground. If the soil is light and dry previous to the flowers appear¬ 
ing (which should be removed as soon as they are sufficiently 
developed) a good soaking of water may be given, or liquid manure 
in a weak state if the ground was not very fertile at planting time. 
A plantation of this description will produce runners, which if 
pegged on the surface of 5^ and 6-inch pots, according to the variety 
and the time they are required for forcing, will make strong well- 
rooted plants by the time runners would be ready for layering from 
old fruit-bearing plants. It must be kept in mind that two or three 
weeks’ growth in the early part of the season is of infinitely more 
value than thrice the length of time in autumn. Runners that 
have their constitution impaired through being brought to a stand¬ 
still by the strain of fruit-bearing to which their parents are sub¬ 
jected, recruit themselves in good soil when carefully and liberally 
watered and syringed ; but this is accomplished too late in the 
season, for the result is, that they are in full growth when frost 
brings them to a standstill, when half their season’s work has not 
been accomplished. Such plants, with few exceptions, are certain to 
prove barren, and even those that do fruit I have not a shadow of a 
doubt produce only weak flower stems. 
This evil has been aggravated by a too rich material for potting 
that appears to have been used, as well as over-feeding. Would your 
correspondent in making a plantation outside go to the labour, 
trouble, and expense of adding one-third of manure to the soil as 
necessary for the growth and fruitfulness of the plants. Such 
a quantity of manure even on the poor land would do more 
harm than good. What would it do outside but produce luxuri¬ 
ant growth at the expense of fruitfulness ? The same effect 
would take place under pot culture in even a more marked 
degree, for being constantly provided with water the plants would 
be stimulated to grow faster and longer even than those outside. 
If I had rich soil from an old pasture that had been recently 
stacked I should hesitate to use any manure. But under any cir¬ 
cumstances with good ordinary loam an addition of one-seventh 
of manure is ample. If the soil is inclined to be heavy a little- , 
coarse sand might be added, and the manure would consist of horse 
droppings passed through a half-inch sieve. The droppings would 
be sweetened by frequent turnings, the same as would be necessary- 
in preparing them for making a Mushroom bed. If the soil were 
light cow manure would be preferred. A little soot sprinkled over 
the drainage would be beneficial to the plants and assist in keeping- 
out worms while the pots were standing on the border. Feeding, 
with soil of this nature should not give much trouble, and stimulants 
should only be applied when the plants have made a fair amount of 
roots and are in vigorous growth. This should not be persisted in 
too late in the season or the growth would not be ripened, and thus 
all previous care and attention would be wasted. One or two dress¬ 
ings of artificial manure applied tothe plants are aU that are really 
needed. We seldom give more than one application, for if the soil 
is crammed firmly into the pots they should contain ample food for 
the plants until they are top-dressed ready for forcing. 
Another source of failure may be due to the heat and moisture 
to which the plants are subjected. Moisture three or more times a 
day, if I am to infer that is syringing and watering, with a tem¬ 
perature of 60° to 70°, is alone sufficient to cause the best and most 
matured crowns that can be produced to prove barren. Under any 
circumstances the Strawberry must be started gently. Especially 
is this necessary when the crowns have not been well ripened. 
Hurry them, and apply a super-abundance of moisture, and leaves, 
“ nothing but leaves,” will be the reward. At first a cool structure 
only is needed for two or three weeks, then the temperature should 
not exceed 50°, with a little air daily until the plants show signs of 
movement, when it may be gradually increased to 55°, but not before 
the flowers are visible, and a higher temperature is not needed 
before they are set. It can then be gradually increased to 60° or 
even 70°. To move the plants from a temperature of 55° to near 
70° is too sudden a change, and may alone be the means of small 
instead of large fruit. 
The atmosphere should not be too moist nor too close before 
the fruit is set. The syringe may be used once or twice daily 
according to the weather. Early in the season once will be suffi¬ 
cient, but when the sun increases in power it may be done twice. 
The plants should be carefully watered at their roots, never allow¬ 
ing them to become dry, but, on the other hand, they should not be 
saturated. Early in the season they wonld not need water applied 
to the pots even daily. Later it might be needed once a day, and at 
this season of the year in all probability twice. At this period of the 
year the plants are better a good distance from the glass where the 
foliage can partially protect the fruit from the burning rays of the 
sun the same as they are in a natural state. Early in the season the 
exposure of the fruit to the feeble rays of the sun is a decided 
advantage, for a few sunny days will do more to bring it forward 
than a week’s hard firing. Having the plants close to the glass 
later is one of those fancy notions that have laid hold too firmly of 
cultivators, and Avhich must be modified in a marked degree if 
successful results are to be achieved. I will return to the subject 
of Strawberry forcing, as there have been many failures this year, 
and others should be averted.—W m. Bardney. 
THE LAURUSTimJS, 
Just now this favourite shrub is at its best, being loaded with 
flowers, and where they are growing intermixed with the red-flowering 
Eibes, Aucubas, and common Laurels arranged near the front of shrub¬ 
bery borders the effect is very pleasing. My object, however, is to ask 
for more attention to be paid the plants to prevent their running up 
too high, and causing them to become naked or bare of branches at the 
bottom, which does not add to their beauty. It is well known that 
after the shrubs become established they are liable to send up strong 
shoots which, if allowed full scope, will throw them out of their true 
character by depriving them of their lower branches. These strong 
growths should either be shortened or cut clean out soon enough to 
prevent the shrubs being disfigured by the operation. Again, where 
they are getting old and their lower branches showing weakness, one 
of the best plans I know of is to layer them during the autumn. These 
will throw up young growths, and the shrubs be thereby renovated 
in a comparatively short time, and as they are not deep-rooting a sur¬ 
face-dressing of manure will help them to make fresh roots and promote 
healthy growth. In town gardens, where this shrub is so largely used, the 
above treatment would much improve the many unsightly specimens we 
often see. I am of opinion that it is not a good plan to dig among such 
