188 
THR FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
keeps the plants quite safe from injury during the severest weather, and by 
spring the rains will have carried the soluble part into the soil, leaving a nice 
layer of clean straw about the plants, which keeps the fruit clean when ripe. 
This is a preferable plan to putting straw, short grass, tiles, &c., under the 
plants when the fruit is swelling. Eltons are a fair crop this season, though 
the flower-stems did not show so strong as usual; but the fine growing weather 
we had in the latter part of May, and early part of June, brought them on 
wonderfully. The plants are now full of fruit, which, along with Eleanors, 
will furnish a supply until the middle of September. I calculate on having, 
and generally do have, an abundant supply of Strawberries out-doors from ten 
to twelve weeks. Eleanor has a fair crop this season, though generally a shy 
bearer with me, and in most places where I have seen it. The fruit is very 
showy and handsome, and a good dish of it looks very well late in the season. 
It bears best on rather light land, as it does not then run so much into foliage 
as it does when grown on strong land. 
Jucunda has borne well with me this season. It is of a good strong habit, 
and profuse bearer, -with fine showy fruit, of excellent quality. I believe it is 
a sort not much known. I got it from a person who had it direct from the 
late Mr. Nicholson, of Yarm. 
I renew about a third part of my Strawberry plantations every season, and 
destroy about the same quantity of the old plants. As early in the season as 
I can get any, I lay the runners in small pots, and as soon as they are rooted 
I have them planted out in rows at from 20 to 30 inches apart, according to 
the growth and habit of the sorts. From these plants I have generally had 
some very fine fruit the first year, but of course not heavy crops. This year, 
with the exception of Eltons, which have a few fruit, they have all failed. 
I was rather later than usual last season in getting them layered, as, owing to 
the dry weather, there were no layers until late ; then, being also planted out 
late, they grow late, and continue in a growing state nearly to the end of 
December, never properly forming and maturing their crowns. 
The crop' of Keens’ Seedling has been a total failure with me this season in 
plants of all ages. Alice Maude and Princess Frederick William of Prussia 
have also been failures. Sir Harry and British Queen have borne good crops 
from two and three-year-old plants. Eltons, Eleanors, and Jucunda have also 
had fair crops. 
The fine rains we had last month (July), have been very beneficial to the 
plants this season. The great point now is to promote early growth by every 
possible means. To this end all runners should be removed from the plants at 
once, if not already done, and all that appear should be kept cut clean away, 
and the soil between the rows should be kept well stirred with the hoe ; when 
this is properly attended to the plants benefit greatly from the heavy dews which 
we generally have during this month (August). To get the growth completed 
as early as possible, and the crowns properly formed and well matured, are the 
chief points to be aimed at, and no care or labour must be spared for this 
purpose if we wish to succeed. We may then reasonably hope to have a fine 
crop of fruit next season. 
Stour ton. - M. Saul. 
As the failure of the Strawberry crop in 1865 seems to have been general 
in the neighbourhood of London and elsewhere, perhaps a few remarks on 
what I think was the cause may be interesting to the cultivators of this deli¬ 
cious fruit. I believe the season of 1864 being so hot and dry during the time 
the Strawberry was forming its flower-buds, was the principal cause, for, with 
me, I had the means of thoroughly irrigating my main crops during that time, 
