144 
TI1E FLORIST. 
easily gathered from plants in this form. I have never tried the plan 
I once saw recommended for prolonging the season of fruit by destroying 
the first crop of a portion before flowering; but it is obvious that if 
this is desired the above plan of tying would facilitate it; only, in that 
case, the canes I meant to retard I should not arch down at first, but 
stake temporarily till the time for removing the earlier shoots ; because 
fewer buds would have pushed, less constitutional vigour be wasted, 
and a longer cane remain for the crop to be preserved. Time of planting 
October; sort, Antwerp ; situation, sheltered from high winds ; soil, 
light, rich, and well drained; rows 4 feet apart) plants, 3 ; dressing 
in October, between the rows; water in dry weather in and before 
fruiting time. Do not consider a plantation worn out till its fruitfulness 
ceases. Depth of planting, no more than for the roots to be well 
covered. Keep the surface clean from weeds. 
With regard to the Strawberries he mentions, locality and latitude . 
must doubtless make a great difference in the value of different kinds. 
Those he mentions as good to preserve I did not find so, for I threw 
them away. With me, Sir Harry does not equal Keens’ Seedling, 
and is much less hardy. Nevertheless, I shall grow half a bed of it, 
as also of Carolina Superba. With the British Queen I must part 
reluctantly and with the highest respect, for when well ripened it has 
no equal. But the Filbert Pine and Omar Pacha are not far behind it 
in excellence, and they are perfectly hardy, and do their work well 
without trouble. Of those, therefore, and of Keens’ Seedling, I grow 
a full bed each. And of all the means used for keeping the crop clean 
and usable in wet weather, I have found none worthy to be compared 
with “ tan.” 
Iota. 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY’S SPRING EXHIBITION AT 
ST. JAMES’S HALL. 
This, the first attempt of the Society to hold a spring exhibition in 
London, on a larger scale than the ordinary Regent-street meetings, 
was decidedly successful. In the first place the new Hall, from its 
size and central situation to the West End, is admirably adapted for 
horticultural displays. The room itself is a masterpiece of constructive 
skill, and is embellished with exquisite taste. There is also quite a 
sufficiency of daylight admitted for all purposes of floral scrutiny with¬ 
out the overpowering glare which is felt to be so detrimental to the 
display of plants in bloom at the Crystal Palace. The effect of the 
room, crowded as it was with plants in bloom of nearly every shade of 
colour, when lighted up at night, was perfectly magical. To our minds, 
the grouping of the plants might have been made much more effective 
than it was. The plants were arranged on three tables—one on each 
side and one up the centre of the room, besides a cross table at the 
lower end, and a large one in front of the orchestra at the upper end. 
We think all, or nearly all, the tall plants should have been arranged 
on the centre table instead of on the side ones. It would have formed 
