504 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
t June *8, 1887. 
will again do well ; but if the weather continue hot they will be thrown 
away, and young plants again depended on. Another favourite plan of mine 
is at every 24 or 24 by 3 feet to put in three stout young plants in a tri¬ 
angle with a base of 6 inches. No one at next gathering-time can, without 
very careful examination, tell these from established two and three-year- 
old stools. 1 n strong soils thorough deep-digging, and making the ground 
rich to a depth of 15 to 18 inches, and a top-dressing of manure on the 
surface, will be all that is really necessary. If much deeper than this, 
and without surface-dressing, I have often observed the plants run too 
much to leaf. For fruit of all kinds there is nothing like surface roots, 
but they must be taken care of. 
Strawberries like firm ground, and in a soil naturally light and warm 
I can get better crops by not digging at all, either at planting time or 
afterwards. I render acknowledgments to Mr. Kadclyffe for this hint 
that I have put into practice. At desired distances scoop a hollow in 
the soil capable of holding 2 gallons of water. Soak this thoroughly 
with liquid manure, level-up, and put three plants in each spot. The 
manure water should be strong, and the hollow 1 foot in diameter. I 
have trie d different sorts of measure, and find 2 ozs. of guano and 1 oz. 
of salt to the gallon the best of all, and better indeed than holes dug out 
18 inches deep and filled-in and trodden with good manure. For a time 
the manured roots took the lead, but after two years the liquid-manured 
roots produced the most fruit, and best withstood the drought. It is the 
firm soil that does it. I always surface-dress my Strawberries in the 
autumn with half-rotted manure, or not quite half-rotted, and never 
take it off again. This may not be so necessary in districts with a heavy 
rainfall, but I know it is good practice here. Last autumn, considering 
the tremendous wet, I was for once doubtful as to the wisdom of the 
practice and only did a portion, but those dressed are much the best, and 
I decide that if it is good in a wet season it must be good in a dry one, 
at any rate where the soil is light. The winter’s rains clean the manure 
perfectly, and leave a surfacing of smooth sweet straw, better packed 
than any hand could pack it, for the fruit to rest on. Where this top¬ 
dressing is not given, the best recipe to keep the fruit clean is Mr. 
Peach’s—viz., straw cut into inch lengths. It is handy to apply and 
snug when it is there, and is the best slug-antidote I know. I have 
watched the hungry “ varmint ” in their pilgrimage to the fruit, and am 
bound to say rejoiced in their treadmill-like work in turning over, and 
instead of the straw beim; the foundation for the slugs, the slugs were a 
foundation for the straw, and they were glad to get out of it. This 
would not have been the case had it not been cut into inch lengths. 
It is important that clean surfacing be applied early, and it is the 
greatest possible mistake to defer it until the fruit is ripening. No one 
can possibly do the work then without more or less injury to the fruit- 
trusses. Strawberry trusses are as impatient of being disturbed as the 
haulm of Peas, and neither can be meddled with without damage. Early 
surfacing has also another valuable point in its favour, in arresting 
evaporation and retaining the earth’s moisture. It should be applied 
before the plants are in bloom, and it can never be done so well after¬ 
wards. A sprinkling of salt in early spring at the same time and in half 
the quantity of that given to Asparagus, or, to be more definite, about 
half an ounce to the square yard, is of much value, but more will not 
hurt if it be kept out of the crowns. By its deliquescent nature it keeps 
the ground moist anil cool. It is certain to do good in dry localities to 
more things besides Strawberries. It should be applied previous to the 
straw surfacing. B 3 ’salting and surface-dressing in autumn and early 
in spring I have had no occasion to water, although much hot and dry 
weather has prevailed. But—and this is important—I set aside two 
rows ; one had no salt, and the other was not surfaced until the fruit 
changed colour ; both these we have been compelled to water copiously, 
and then could not get the fruit so fine as the rest, but it was equaliy 
plentiful in point of numbers. Every point urged in this gossip is based 
on actual and careful practice. 
I have never been sufficiently careful or curious as to note the relative 
value of the first or second roots of runners, but I do know that barren 
plants will produce barren progeny ; I do not say invariably, but suffi¬ 
ciently so to make the practice of planting from them an unsafe one. Just 
another hint : I cannot grow British Queen or Dr. Hogg by runners from 
my own plants, but if l have them from a thorough strong Strawberry soil 
I can get fair crops. I am certain this is a point of considerable value, 
and will in many gardens make all the difference between Strawberries 
and no Strawberries. Let those who grow this fruit under difficulties 
try it, and I am very sanguine they will do as I do, “ try again.”] 
COLOURS IN EXOTIC FERNS. 
One of the characters through which Ferns in general com 
mand the greatest amount of attention is the various tints of colour 
of many of the species and varieties in cultivation. The different 
modes of growth and the immense diversity of forms of certain 
genera are by themselves sufficient to enable anyone to dispense 
with the help of plants belonging to other families in the formation 
of groups of most decorative character or of the greatest interest. 
Leaving aside for the present those highly curious or fantastic 
forms of Ferns to which we will refer later on, such as the 
Elephant’s Ear Fern (Dictyoglossum crinitum), the Stag’s Horn 
Fern (Platycerium alcicorne), the Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium 
Nidus Avis), the Ivy-leaved Fern (Hemionitis palmata), and others 
which, although used sparingly in the grouping of these charming 
plants, should however be present if only in single plants of each 
kind ; and keeping only to the more natural sorts, or at least to 
those with foliage of a shape more in conformity with the general 
idea of what a Fern should be, we still find a really imposing num¬ 
ber of plants possessing the greatest power of attraction on account 
of the beautiful tints particular to species whose foliage in its youth 
is as bright in colour as many flowers and of quite as long in dura¬ 
tion. Take, for instance, the most numerous genus of Ferns pro¬ 
vided with coloured foliage—that of the Maidenhair Ferns—and 
compare the difference in shape, size, and colour between all other 
Ferns and the deservedly popular Adiantum macrophyllum and its 
rare variety bipinnatum, with their pinnas and pinnules at first of a 
lovely deep rose colour gradually fading to a yellowish green, which 
they retain until they have reached their maturity, and the advan¬ 
tage derived by comparison will undoubtedly be in favour of that 
handsome West Indian species of erect growth and sturdy habit, 
which requires stove treatment. Even the beautiful Adiantum 
farleyense, naturally and at all times the most handsome member 
of a whole genus which contains so many interesting and exceed¬ 
ingly decorative species, has when in young state its lovely appear¬ 
ance enhanced by the tender colours of its fronds, which then 
assume before taking their permanent pale green colour all the in¬ 
termediary tints from the brightest pink to a very pretty pale 
yellowish green, the combination of which renders the plant most 
attractive. 
Of other Maidenhair Ferns with coloured fronds we may note 
among the strong-growing kinds, the tropical American A. cardio- 
chlsena, a stove Fern of stately appearance, producing fronds which 
under liberal culture frequently attain 6 feet in length, and which 
in their young state are of a particularly light greyish pink colour ; 
A. pentadactylon and A. Sanctse-Catharinae, two South American 
species somewhat similar in appearance, the former with fronds of 
a beautiful bright red in their youth, and the latter possessing a 
metallic colour quite unique among Maidenhair Ferns. In growth 
these two species much resemble the better known A. trapeziforme, 
which like them is of South American origin, but whose foliage in 
its young state is of a lovely pea green colour, which it retains for 
a very long time. Another very handsome species which, as its 
name indicates, comes from Peru, and which rivals if it does not 
surpass A. trapeziforme in the size of its fronds and the length of 
eheir drooping divisions, is the A. peruvianum, which, on account 
tof its pendant habit and also by reason of its bold and strongly 
marked character, at once commands the attention of all beholders. 
Its fronds, which frequently reach 4 feet in length, have when 
partially developed a very peculiar light greyish pinky colour, which 
forms a most pleasing contrast with the dark green tint of the 
mature fronds. The two Adiantums, Yeitchi and cyclosorum, 
equally of Peruvian origin, are also among the best coloured of the 
strong-growing kinds known. The former has all the appearance 
of a much enlarged form of the common Maidenhair Fern, but 
with fronds erect and pinrne of a glorious colour in youth ; while 
in Adiantum Hendersoni we have a plant belonging to that inter¬ 
esting class of Maidenhairs with a peculiar hirsute foliage which 
comprises A. pulverulentum, &c., but its young fronds are of an 
intense red shining colour, which gradually changes into the most 
beautiful bronzy and very effective tints, which they retain until 
they assume the permanent dark green colour which distinguishes 
this plant from almost any other Maidenhair Ferns. 
But these attractive colours are not exclusively the character of 
strong-growing kinds, for nothing could be brighter than the 
young growth of the comparatively dwarf Peruvian species 
A. tinctum and rubellum, which rarely exceed 8 inches in height, 
and whose young fronds, which are abundantly produced from a 
central crown, are always more or less decorated with the roseate 
hue which has suggested their names. The same may equally be 
said of the foliage of A. rhodophyllum, a natural hybrid of garden 
origin which grows to about 15 inches high, and the pinnules of 
which, when first developed, are of a bright crimson, they gradually 
change with age to a rosy fulvous colour and finally to a soft very 
pale green. The remarkable diversity of colours presented by the 
pinnules at the different stages of their growth, and which are all 
to be seen on the plant at the same time, renders this Maidenhair 
one of the most decorative Ferns in cultivation. Equally precious 
to the collections are the metallic and bronzy tints which distinguish 
the equally small-growing New Zealand A. fulvum and hispidulum, 
both of which succeed very well under cool treatment. 
Besides the Maidenhairs there are other Ferns with fronds of 
equally bright colours, such as the gigantic Davallia polyantha, a 
native of the Malayan Archipelago, whose fronds of a beautifully 
bright purple colour at first, gradually fade into a coppery tint 
which, as is also the case with those of another gigantic Malayan 
Fern, the Didymochkena truncatula, possessing the same chameleon 
properties, is retained for a very long time. The fronds of 
