504 : 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jane 24, 13S6. 
one and tlie ground only fairly good, a liberal dressing of farm¬ 
yard manure should be given. Twelve to twenty cartloads per 
acre is a suitable dressing for land ordinarily cultivated and 
cropped. Poor soil should have proportionately heavier dressings. 
It should be dug or ploughed in. Dress ground much infested 
with slugs with nitrate of soda 1 lb. per rod (30j- square yards), 
or 1 j cwt. per acre, distributed evenly over the surface prior to 
planting. Land infested by wireworms may have a dressing of 
gas lime at the rate of 20 bushels per acre pointed in a little 
before planting. 
LAYERING RUNNERS. 
Runners of the current or previous year, if spring planting is 
practised, are the only suitable ones. They are best taken from 
plantations that have been made in the previous year, and are 
consequently only a year old. Such afford the earliest and 
strongest runners, and they have the sturdiest and most solidified 
growth through their having the advantage of more space than 
is accorded runners in older plantations, through the parent 
plants being of smaller size. The runners are best layered in 
small pots, small GO’s or 3-inch ; a double or single row of pots 
as runners are available, being placed midway between the rows 
and about half plunged, so as to keep the pots steady and insure 
more uniform moisture. Any good loam will answer for filling 
the pots, preferably rather rough turfy loam, with a fifth of well- 
decayed manure intermixed, and a quart each of bonemeal and 
soot per bushel of soil. Drainage for the pots is not necessary, 
and the soil need only be made moderately firm in the pots, a 
space of about half an inch being left for watering. A slight 
indent is made in the centre of the soil, a runner is placed therein, 
and secured with a peg. The best is formed of galvanised wire 
cut about 3 inches long and doubled, but a bamboo cane cut into 
lengths of 4 inches, split roughly and thrown into water for a few 
days, can be split with a knife into match-like strips, and these 
doubled form admirable pegs. They bend readily whilst moist. 
A small stone may be placed on each runner wire to keep it in 
position, but these are not nearly so good as the pegs. Out off 
the points of each runner wire just beyond the plantlet, unless 
the variety is a scarce one, when it may be allowed to grow so as 
to get as many plants as possible. Supply water as necessary, 
and the runners will be well rooted in about three weeks; but it 
is well to leave them on the parent plants until the pots are filled 
with roots, and yet not allowing them to remain until they are 
very closely matted They will be well rooted in three weeks to 
a month or never. Detach and remove them to a north border and 
keep them moist if the ground is not ready, but the sooner they are 
planted the better, as they only become stunted through keeping 
them m the pots. Layering in pots is a troublesome plan; but 
nothing can be done without labour. Turves 2A to 3 inches thick, 
4 inches wide, and a foot long, inserted half their depth grass 
side downwards are a good substitute, and are by some considered 
better than layering in pots. The runners are layered on the 
turf about 4 inches apart, or 2 inches from the ends of the 
pieces of turf, and then 4 inches apart as regards the others. If 
kept moist they will root quickly, and the turves have only to be 
divided between the runners. This plan even may be too trouble¬ 
some in some cases, or neither pots nor turf can be had. Layer 
them in the soil in this case. They will root as quickly as those 
in pots or on turf if kept moist, and lifted with roots they are 
admirable for home planting, only keep them as much from the 
drying influences of the atmosphere as possible, choosing a dull 
time for planting. 
Runners should only be taken from fruitful plants. It is a 
common occurrence for apparently healthy and at one time 
fruitful plants to become sterile. Sterile or meagre-fruiting 
plants give the strongest and most runners, and they are selected 
for sending out and planting. Such are not worth having. They 
are never to be relied upon, therefore take runners from fruitful 
healthy plants only. 
Nothing pays so well in Strawberry cultivation as a careful 
selection of plant and a change. Whether the plants get sick of 
the soil, the climate, or treatment it is difficult to tell. The only 
thing to guard against is the unfruitful plants, and that can only 
be ensured by asking for a guarantee. If that is forthcoming a 
year s growth will soon set things right, for it is not possible to 
grow Strawberries a year, they being planted in July or August, 
without proving whether they are fruitful or sterile. 
PLANTING. 
The ground being prepared as advised in the previous autumn 
or spring (winter is the worst time to work land, or any time 
when saturated with wet), a crop of early Potatoes may be taken, 
or preferably Peas—any crop, in fact, that will allow the needful 
preparation of the ground, which in most cases will only amount 
to forking, either without or after manuring. If the ground be 
light or rough from clods tread it, especially where the rows are 
to be, but it must not be practised in wet weather. The rows 
should be 30 inches asunder and 30 inches apart in the rows. 
This I have found the most suitable for plants that are to remain 
for any length of time, the plants being put out half the distance 
asunder in the rows, every alternate plant being cut out directly 
after the first year’s fruiting, in rich deep loam 3 feet apart for 
the rows and 18 inches asunder in the rows the first year; every 
other plant being taken out after the first year’s crop is gathered 
is not too much room for the strong growing sorts. For general 
purposes I prefer the plants in bed-like arrangements for facility 
of gathering the fruit and cultural requirements. The strong 
growers in row3 30 inches apart, and the plants 15 inches asunder 
in the rows the first year and 30 inches the second, leaving a 
space of 42 inches between every two rows. Moderate growers 
in rows 24 inches apart, 12 inches the first year and 24 inches 
the second asunder in the rows, with a yard space between every 
two rows. Closer planting is not advisable. 
Plant just level with the neck so as to cover the roots, and 
firm the soil about each plant with the feet. If the plants are 
slightly raised it is better than burying the centre or crown; 
indeed, that should never be practised. A little care at planting 
is worth a good many after considerations. Supply water at 
once to settle the soil about the roots and repeat as necessary. 
Moist weather is the time to plant. The earlier the runners can 
be planted the better, which will depend of course on the season, 
but the middle of July to early August is usually the summer 
planting season. 
Sometimes planting has to be deferred until autumn through 
the ground not being cleared of other crops, or not cleaned and 
prepared for earlier planting. September or early October is the 
latest Strawberry plants should be put out, so that they will have 
a chance to root and become established before cold weather 
comes. Spring planting is best effected by taking up the runners 
when well rooted, and placing them in beds 6 inches apart every 
way, the beds being of the orthodox width—viz., 4 feet, with 
1 foot alleys between them, watering as necessary and keeping 
them free from weeds. In February or March, as soon as the 
ground is in good working order, they can be transferred with 
roots to their permanent quarters, watering if the weather be 
dry. The best time to plant is when they are starting into fresh 
growth.— G Abbey. 
(To be continued.) 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND THEIR CULTURE. 
(Continued from page 485.) 
TERMINAL BUD. 
A terminal bud is thus named because it is the apex of growth, 
no other growths starting and growing beyond it like those from 
crown buds. Terminal buds are the best to depend on for the 
production of flowers from bush plants and those grown for late 
use. This bud is not much appreciated by growers of plants for 
large blooms, because the flowers from buds so formed are much 
too small except in a few instances. In the north of England 
terminal buds are formed too late to be of any use for exhi¬ 
bition stands, and for anything else except for late decorative 
purposes. From few sorts can good flowers be had from these buds 
even in the southern counties, and practically none in the north. 
The only varieties I know that are to be depended upon to produce 
good blooms from terminals are Emily Dale and Sir Stafford Carey. 
Mr. Bunn, Prince Alfred, and Lord Wolseley often develope flowers 
of good quality from this bud. This occurs when the crown buds 
form earlier than the dates previously named for these particular 
sorts. In that case the crown bud is rubbed out and the growths 
allowed to extend. Flowers from terminal growths are very com¬ 
pact, but lack the size and solidity of those grown from crown 
buds, and are not formed early enough for the flowers to be deve¬ 
loped in time for the shows except in the cases mentioned. Ter¬ 
minal buds form in a general way in the south from the middle to 
the end cf September, and some even as late as the middle of 
October,) tin northern parts they ar j not formed till the last- 
named date. The buds are formed in this way : If the cultivator 
does not wish to allow the plant or plants to bloom from the crown 
buds, which are sometimes damaged through various causes, the 
crown bud is cut off, and the growth shoots which start just below 
that point are allowed to extend. They in time produce terminal 
buds. The annexed engraving (fig. 92) represents a terminal 
growth with buds which was taken late in the season, the side buds 
having grown slightly too long before being disbudded. As shown 
by dotted lines, all the flower buds except the centre one at the 
top are intended to be cut off. This should be done at the earliest 
opportunity when the centre bud can be plainly distinguished from 
the side ones, which in their early stages cluster close around the 
