462 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 15. 
runners, when they could be had early enough. Now, 
which is really the best mode : placing the runner in 
the small pot, to be repotted in the fruiting pot; or fixing 
the runner in the fruiting pot at once?” The best 
gardeners would tell you it was a matter of no import¬ 
ance. My neighbour, Mr. Snow, used to lay the runners 
in the fruiting pot at once. Mr. Busby used to do the 
same; but has next to entirely adopted the small-pot and 
repotting system this season ; and when so many of us 
could not get a runner of British Queens this summer, 
because the plants had all gone, his young plants from 
runners are magnificent. I have followed the repotting 
system myself, and for three reasons. There is less trouble 
in preparing the small pot for the larger, than is neces¬ 
sary for a permanent pot. A lighter soil may be used 
than would be suitable for fruiting the plant, a matter 
of some moment in cold late places, as encouraging 
roots to grow more quickly. Another, though it may be 
mere fancy, I imagine that this repotting gives me a ball, 
ultimately, more crammed, and thoroughly interlaced 
with roots, than when the layer is placed in the pot at 
once. More, however, depends on the judgment of the 
grower than upon the mere system followed, in this re¬ 
spect. When lately at Woburn Abbey, Mr. Forbes kindly 
showed me his Strawberry-plants, and it required no 
prophetic vision to see that they would bear inspection at 
fruiting time. They then were ready to be removed from 
the Strawberry quarter, the strings of the runners being 
cut. Each plant had been placed in the centre of its 
fruiting-pot. The soil was beautiful, fibry, lumpy loam, 
and the plant stood on a cone nearly an inch above the 
rim of the pot. However firmly packed, that cone 
would sink to the rim, and beneath it, before next 
spring; in fact, would become more compressible as 
the fibry matter decomposed. A cursory glance was 
sufficient to tell that the ground-work of Mr. Forbes’s 
system was rapid growth ; and then early and full matu¬ 
ration of the buds; and the precaution that these buds 
should not be injured by moisture. 
8.—“ Last season you mentioned that at Chatsworth, 
and Trentham, instead of depending on runners, they 
used many of the plants of the previous year a second 
time, after repotting them ; but you also mentioned, what 
I have heard to be correct, the wonderful prolificacy, 
this season, of plants turned out of pots last summer. 
Cannot people, in the far north, derive both advantages, 
by some peculiar mode of management?” Yes. I 
think so. There can be no question of the prolificacy 
of such rising two-year-old plants, either for out-doors, 
or in-doors work; but the individual fruit is not often 
so fine, unless care is taken to thin the fruit severely. 
Now, a sort of medium mode of acting will give you 
plants that will produce rather abundantly, and fine 
fruit likewise. In former years I have tried it, and 
will merely mention how I have reverted to it again. 
Last season, my Keens, from runners, were the admired 
of all beholders, and they did not disappoint me; but 
after seeiug the older plants of Queens, under the care 
of Messrs. Maekie and Fleming, I was much dissatisfied 
with my Queens ; for I could not get them early enough, 
though they did, on trial, better than I expected. I, 
therefore, raised, and potted afresh, a number of plants 
that had been transferred to the border, after being 
forced in spring, and these did tolerably well, producing 
some very fine fruit; but in the process of lifting them, 
a number of small runners had to be cut off—the largest 
leaves scarcely averaging the size of a halfpenny—and 
these were carefully pricked out in a border, and were 
lifted and potted some seven weeks ago, and now look 
pretty well, as if they would do good next spring. 
Now, these young little things are the only Queens I 
saved out-of-doors last spring; when so young, the 
vital principle is stronger than when older; these 
I plants had merely the protection of a few branches 
stuck among them. Now, from my turned out forced 
British Queens, I intend, by-and-by, to select a number 
of small runners, prick them on a border, and pot them 
the following summer; and this will entail less trouble 
under the circumstances than layering each plant, and be 
attended with more certainty. I may mention hero, 
though I cannot tell clearly how it is, that I never can 
get runners, from early-forced plants, at all or anything 
earlier than from the plants in the open air. It is very 
rare, indeed, that one of my plants produces a runner in i 
the house. Some people have them as thick as the ! 
runners of the Saxifrage, called Aaron’s Beard (sarmen- . 
tosa). I cannot say whether the mode of potting, &c., 
has anything to do with it; but so it is. The runners, j 
even now, on these forced Queens, are very small; and j 
the smallest of these I intend potting next summer, 
after being in a few days pricked-out in a border. 
9. —“What sorts are best for forcing?” For large 
fruit, early, and plenty of them, Keen's Seedling is yet 
unrivalled. For an earlier fruit, very prolific, rather small 
in size, and good-flavoured, though some people cannot 
be made to like it, choose Cuthill's Black Prince. Some 
learned folks say it is an old thing, fresh furbished. Of 
this I am too ignorant to pass an opinion ; but, sup¬ 
posing it to be old, there is no little credit due to the 
man who made a way for it as really deserving notice. 
Then for late work — though not very prolific, but 
splendid in the individual specimens, and next to un¬ 
approachable in flavour—there is the British Queen. 
10. —“ What are the best sorts forgetting an autumn 
crop after forcing in spring ? ” You must force early, 
so as to gather, at farthest, by the end of March, before 
you can do very great things this way. From merely 
putting plants in a house in February and March, you 
can only expect to get a few at the end of August, and 
onwards. For this purpose, I would place Blade Prince 
first, and Keens Seedling second; the fine Queens no¬ 
where; for, as it is a poor early forcer, it is also a. poor 
autumn producer. During the whole of August, l have 
gathered, alternately, from Eltons, on a north border; 
and autumn crops of Prince and Keen. I could con¬ 
tinue every day with Keen, if the weather prove bright, 
until it becomes too cold to ripen them; and, with all 
this, the crop next season will not be impaired. I might 
have gone on obtaining fruit from the Prince, but for a 
circumstance which 1 will mention, as a hint to others. 
I had but few plants of the Prince last season ; but I saw, 
in a moment, what it could be, both for early forcing and 
autumn bearing; I, therefore, turned out the whole, 
and but few runners were made. Several friends 
offered me abundance; but time went on, and never 
showed the opportunity of sending or going for them ; 
and here I am, on the 6th of September, destitute of 
them. Well, the small runners have been selected, and 
pricked on a border; the best, potted at once into four- 
and-a-half-inch pots, and the old plants taken up and 
potted in six-inch pots; and all the pots plunged into 
a slight hotbed, under a ricketty frame. The plants 
have stood open; the crowns, therefore, will not want 
so much maturing; while the little heat below, and 
plenty of air above, will fill the pots with roots by the 
first week in October; after which, there will be plenty 
of time for resting and wintering. 
11. —“What is the best plan for wintering the plants 
in pots?” Any mode that will keep the pots from 
worms, from deluging rains, and very severe frosts. I 
have plunged them on a bank of ashes, above the level 
of the ground, the tops defended with fern, straw, or 
bvanclies. I have built the one upon the other, in 
ashes and earth, against a wall, the top of the plant 
looking out to the light; but the best mode, after plung¬ 
ing the pots, is to have a waterproof covering; and, best 
of all, glass sashes, which let in light, while the heat is 
excluded. By the middle of October the ripest should 
