August 2, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
757 
Mr. Webb beiDg quite an adept at the art. Two very 
fme varieties of Lapageria rosea and L. alba may be 
found occupying the roof of another house containing a 
miscellaneous collection of plants, which are too 
numerous to describe. We also noticed some nicely- 
grown Palms, amongst which were pretty examples of 
Kentia Fosteriana, K. Belmoreana, Cocos Weddelliana, 
&c. 
On the north side of the kitchen garden are the 
orchards, most of the trees apparently being of a good 
age, but, with the exception of Pike’s Pearmain Apple, 
the crops are very light. There is a somewhat newly- 
made piece of garden near here which is used principally 
for growing bush fruit and Strawberries, all of which 
were maturing heavy crops, particularly the latter, 
the three most reliable kinds being Sir J. Paxton, Sir 
C. Napier, and Vieomtesse Hericart de Thury. Many 
other objects of interest are to be seen at Kelham, but 
it is sufficient to say that general good order prevails 
in each department, and Mr. Webb is to be congratu¬ 
lated upon its excellent keeping.— J. H. Walker. 
SEEDLING STRAWBERRIES* 
By Me. Thomas Laxton. 
When I was invited to read a paper on “Seedling 
Strawberries ” at this conference, I felt that there 
might be listeners who would inquire of themselves 
why seedling Strawberries should require to be 
separately treated, when the history and cultivation of 
the fruit is expounded by the able fruitists and writers 
who have kindly taken those subjects in hand ; but 
looking at our special and most popular summer fruit 
as almost of an annual character, as it gives its produce 
from seed more rapidly than any other fruit with which 
I am acquainted, and to the enormous demand to suit 
the various tastes and requirements of consumers, I do 
not hesitate to lay before you a few of the simple facts 
and slight experiences gathered by me in a peiiod of 
thirty-two years, during which I have, mostly at 
intervals of three or four years, continued to raise and 
work out a batch of seedlings, chiefly by gross- 
fertilisation. The annual character of the Alpine 
Strawberries, so much appreciated by our French 
neighbours, is well known, as they are ordinarily and 
best treated as such, coming fairly true from seed, and 
* A paper read at the late Conference [of the British Fruit 
Growers’ Association. 
the produce generally finer than from runner plants. 
Our so-called English Strawberries, which probably 
contain an admixture of the blood of all the edible 
species, may be treated in a similar manner, and may 
be more quickly fruited from seed than, I believe, is 
generally understood. As these are now cultivated in 
most temperate and semi-tropical climates, and as 
almost every soil and situation has a peculiarity for 
some particular variety or varieties, it becomes neces¬ 
sary to provide sorts suitable for these varied climes 
and localities. In North America, I believe, this has 
been largely and systematically carried out, with the 
result that a more vigorous race than we have in most 
of our English and continental sorts has been secured, 
for if there be a failing in our many good quality 
Strawberries it is chiefly that of weak constitution. 
The health and vigour of most of the American 
varieties leads me to look to these as suitable parents 
to be introduced into our home stud book, for although 
the American sorts are not at all or generally suitable 
for our moister climate, especially in a wet seasou, still 
their great fertility, hardiness and vigour, combined 
with good size of fruit, has seemed to me just what we 
want on this side of the water to keep up the health 
standard and constitution of the western European 
varieties, for our cousins, locking at the matter in a 
practical and profitable way, have excelled us in the 
production of hardy, prolific and large-fruited varieties 
adapted for market and field culture. By the intro¬ 
duction of the American Strawberry blood we have an 
alliance of two distinctly acclimatised races, and I 
cannot but think that such an alliance is equally 
advantageous for our artificially produced and culti¬ 
vated fruits, as it has proved for the over-civilised 
human race. Now, following the lines adopted in 
America in raising seedling Strawberries, the objects 
it has appeared to me that we ought to seek are: — 
1, Constitution and moderate vigour. 2, Fertility. 
3, Solidity and external firmness to adapt the fruit for 
transit. 4, Flavour and quality. 5, Size and appearance. 
The latter points many market growers will hold as 
constituting the blue blood of the Strawberry, while, 
on the other hand, private gardeners will put quality in 
the foreground, as Strawberries are grown to be eaten 
as well as to form captivating works of art. This adds 
to the necessity for providing a sufficient number and 
variety of sorts as may be required for the particular 
purpose. It has been my folly to seek the philosopher’s 
stone, and to blend all the desired qualities in one. 
I need hardly say that this happy goal has not yet been 
attained, and the pleasure may yet be looked forward 
to by workers in the interesting field of seedling-Straw- 
berry raising. But to be practical, what is most 
wanted now are early, main crop, and late sorts having 
good-sized, high-flavoured fruits with a firm exterior, 
the colour of a bright glossy scarlet, and lasting. The 
conical or heart-shaped form may, perhaps, find most 
favour, but the shape should be regular, the plant 
hardy, moderately vigorous and sturdy, and fairly 
productive of runners. A stout footstalk carrying 
about ten or twelve even and regular-sized fruits, free 
of but not too far from the ground. The fruits of good 
and distinct flavours, it not being necessary that all 
sorts should assimilate in this respect, variety and 
novelty being desirable to suit various tastes. And, 
lastly, if these qualities can be adapted to fruits 
suitable also for forcing, a material gain will be secured. 
How these Ends may be Attained. 
1, By sowing seed from naturally fertilised, large, 
and well-shaped fruits approximating to the above 
standard or objects desired. Perhaps the varieties Sir 
Joseph Paxton, Noble, or Auguste Nicaise may supply 
what is wanted in the earlier sorts, and British Queen, 
Commander, President, Dr. Hogg, Loxford Hall, 
Waterloo, Latest of All, or Eleanor, similar advantages 
for the improvement of the main and late sorts. 2, By 
artificially intercrossing the best English and foreign 
varieties. 
Modes of Operation. 
The seed may either be sown as soon as the fruit is 
thoroughly ripened, when it may be broken up and the 
pulp or flesh well washed out and separated from the 
seed through a fine sieve or piece of muslin, dried, and 
at once sown in a box of rather light soil, kept moist 
and in a shady situation until vegetation takes place, 
which will probably occur in two or three weeks. As 
soon as the plants are large enough to handle they may 
be pricked out into boxes or potted off at once into 
72’s, and afterwards re-potted from time to time or 
planted out, as may be required ; or the fruits may be 
dried in a sunny place and retained until the early 
spring following, when the seed may be rubbed or 
picked out and sown, and treated as above. 
The former method has the advantage of gaining time, 
and from it I have been able to obtain fruit from some 
of the seedlings in about fourteen months from sowing 
the seed. The latter mode avoids the preservation of 
and carrying through the winter a number of small 
plants and the attendant risk of loss from slugs and 
insects. 
I prefer and adopt the former when possible, and 
time is important, and this I find was the mode 
preferred by the late Dr. Roden, well known as a 
successful raiser and improver of the Strawberry. 
When the seedling plants are strong enough I usually 
plant them out in rows about 1 ft. to 1 ft. 3 ins. apart 
according to size and vigour, giving 2 ft. 6 ins. between 
the rows. This affords a fair opportunity for testing 
and securing a few runners during the first two years ; 
for although some of the plants may flower and fruit 
the year following that of sowing the seed, many will 
not, however, fruit, nor can any be satisfactorily put 
on further probation until the second year. Where 
convenient it is a good plan to put out the seedlings by 
the side of an open walk or path, facing south if 
possible, as there the plants get ample light and air 
and can be readily tended. 
How and What to Intercross. 
Where it is desired to intercross two distinct varieties 
or species, the parents should be both healthy and 
vigorous plants, but not too vigorous, and it will be 
well for security and convenience that the intended 
seed-bearing plant should be grown in a pot. The 
anthers must be removed from the flower to be operated 
upon with a pair of small sharp-pointed scissors the 
day preceding the opening and full development, and 
early the following morning pollen of the sort required 
as the male parent should be applied to the pistils of 
the intended seed-bearing flower directly from the 
pollen-bearing flower, and as there is a possibility of 
the organs not being sufficiently ripe or developed, it 
may be advisable to repeat the operation a few hours 
later ; but the first access of pollen will usually suffice. 
When it is clear that fertilisation has taken place I 
pinch off all flowers and fruit not required, so as to 
strengthen those intended for seed. There is also an 
advantage in potting the plants to be worked upon, as 
they may be advanced or retarded for use with varieties 
White Begonia, The Lady. (See p. 7G0 ) 
