September 11. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
431 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
GARDENING. 
STRAWBERRIES FOR FORCING. 
“I have a lot of nice young Strawberry plants 
from last year’s runners. The sorts are British Queen and 
i Keens Seedling. I have had the flowers and runners 
taken off as fast as they appeared this summer. Now, I 
want to take up two or three hundred forforcing; 1 should 
be obliged if you will tell me the best time to begin the 
j work, and the proper sized pot to use. At the same time, 
i do you think I shall be likely to get a good crop of fruit 
if the plants are carefully potted, and well attended 
to after they are potted? — A Constant Subscriber, 
A. B. 0.” 
[This correspondent has adopted the plan I previously 
recommended to those in cold situations, to the north of 
our midland counties, and to the south of them, in un¬ 
favourable circumstances. In this place, some thirty 
miles north of London, I have tried the plan adopted by 
our correspondent, and with runners of the present 
summer, and found no difference worth speaking about; 
the younger plants, if anything, yielding the best fruit. 
I have, however, had fine crops from older plants taken 
out of the ground, and with less preparation than this 
correspondent has given them. In any answer to the 
definite inquiries, I would say, 1st, There will be next 
to a certainty of a crop, if the plants are properly 
managed. That proper management will consist, 
2nd. In potting the plants directly. Setting each plant 
into a 32-pot, if it can be squeezed in, and into a 24-pot if 
not, preferring, however, the former; potting them 
as firmly as possible, and keeping the buds or crown of 
the plant well elevated, little, if any, beneath the rim of 
the pot. 
3rd. When potted, keep them shaded for a few 
days, until fresh growth is proceeding, and then 
place them iu a position where they will catch every 
possible ray of sunshine. Nip off every runner as it 
appears. Never let them want for water, and use 
manure-water often. By the middle of October little 
water will be necessary, and the plants should be se¬ 
cured from very heavy rains by turning the pots on 
their sides. By the end of October, the pots should be 
wintered so as to be somewhat protected from frosts and 
heavy rains, the plants answering rather best when 
kept dryish, not dry, in their winter quarters. Few can 
spare glass for such a purpose; but the floor of a glass¬ 
house, or au unoccupiod frame, or pit, may well bo used 
for such a purpose when not otherwise needed. 
4th. As this seems to be the first attempt, I would not 
advise commencing to force too early, say in February 
or March ; and I would counsel jmtting Koaus’ into the 
forcing-house first. I have frequently gathered Straw¬ 
berries at the new year, but they were chiefly for looking 
at. Good-flavoured ones can hardly bo expected before 
the first weeks in March ; and these must be commenced 
with before Christmas. Commence with a gentle moist 
heat, and raise the temperature gradually. A rough 
estimate may thus be given. Commence with from 45° 
to 50°; raise it gradually, so that when the plants are 
in bloom the temperature may be 55° at night, and 65° 
during the day ; a little higher when the sun shines at 
mid-day, with plenty of air to sot the fruit. When the 
fruit is swelling, give about 55° to GO 0 at night, and 
from G5° to 70° during the day. It is safest to err on 
the side of low temperature. If the plants are plunged 
at first in a mild bottom-heat growth will progress more 
quickly, and the flower-buds rise more strongly; but 
considerable experience would advise not to allow the 
plants to remain plunged so as the roots could get out 
into the bed, or, in early forcing, there is every likelihood 
that the growing into leaf will get the upper hand of the 
setting and swelling of the fruit. 
As soon as the plants approach the flowering period 
the pots should be raised and placed in a saucer, or on 
a hard bottom; rich surfacings and manure-waterings 
may be freely given after the flower-buds appear. 
Strawberry forcing is well done round this neighbour¬ 
hood. Young plants from runners of the previous year 
are almost exclusively used. Two modes are adopted. 
One, such as 1 mentioned, used by Mr. Forbes, of 
Woburn, namely, fastening the young runner on a little 
mound in the centre of a firmly filled pot, generally a 
32. The other, is placing the young runner on the top 
of a 60-pot, cutting the string when the pot was full of 
roots, and then placing it in a 32-pot, and treated 
as recommended above. I generally adopt the latter 
plan ; but I believe that the best plan of the two will 
be found to be the one that is best carried out, as first- 
rate crops are procured by either method. My runners 
have been obtained lato this season, and are smaller 
than usual. Our correspondent escapes the labour of 
coaxing these tiny things into large well-ripened plants 
in the space of two or three months. I may add, that, 
for forcing purposes, I still prefer Keans' and the Queen, 
with the Black Prince, for earliness, and care should be 
given not to let the last have too much heat, as previ¬ 
ously adverted to.—R. F.] 
TIME FOR ROSE PLANTING.—PILLAR ROSES.— 
PINUS NOBILIS AND CEDRUS DEODARA FOR 
A LAWN. 
“Will you favour me with your opinion as to the best 
time, spring or autumn, for planting Roses as Standards ? 
The gardeners hereabouts (Stamford) recommend the latter 
season ; but having acted on this advice myself last year, 
and lost many of the trees through the severity of the 
weather, I should be glad of an independent opinion.— 
A New Subscriber. 
“ P.S.—Is thero any simple method of protecting the 
newly-planted trees from the frost ? Would you kindly 
mention one or two of the best sorts for Pillar Roses ? Is 
the Pinus nobilis better suited than the Cedrus devdara as an 
ornamental tree for the lawn ?” 
[There are no two opinions among practical men as to 
the best time for planting Roses. Every nurseryman in the 
three kingdoms ought to have alibis out door Rose orders 
by the middle of October; and in return, he ought to put on 
as many men as would get them all up and off before 
Christmas-eve, beginning, invariably, on the 2nd of Novem¬ 
ber, unless it fall on a Sunday, and to give out bis plants in 
the order in which they are bespoke. A friend of ours, who 
is not far from a good Rose nursery, buys some every year, 
but never later than the 25th of September,—when he goes 
round all the Roses in the nursery, and picks out the best 
plants, of course, and puts a label to each, and insists upon 
receiving his bought plants on the evening of the 2nd of 
November ;—and he knows what he is about. 
Pelicite perpetuelle is the best Pillar Rose, so called, but 
there are fifty better Roses that will do as pillar ones. We 
would select such of the best Bourbons and Hybrid perpe- 
tuals as could be pushed up to eight, nine, or ten feet high, 
in about five years, by good soil and management. We 
should then have the best Roses in jrillars, though not the 
best pillar Roses. 
Both the Deodar and Pinus nobilis are well-suited for a 
lawn, therefore choose which you like best; but if you buy 
the two, see you do not plant them for match plants, as both 
are matchless, and will only suit that way in duplicates.] 
EVERGREEN FOR GREENHOUSE BACK! WALL. 
“X. will be glad to know what evergreen is recommended 
for the back wall of a greenhouse ? She wishes to cover 
the Said w T all with something evergreen, and yet ornamental. 
She would like a handsome flowering plant. Camellias 
