876 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 13, 1897. 
JNTS FOR MMATEURS. 
Forcing Strawberries.—There are some fruits that 
require rather more attention than the amateur is 
able to give them in order to force them properly, 
but it may be said at the outset that the Strawberry 
does not belong to this number. There is nothing 
difficult in its treatment, and one advantage is that 
there is no need to trouble about the condition of 
the plant after the fruit has been gathered, for as soon 
as a plant has developed and perfected a good crop 
of fruit it has fulfilled its life’s work, and may be 
thrown away immediately. With other fruits, such 
for instance, as the Vine, and the Peach, the conse¬ 
quences to the plant have seriously to be reckoned 
with, and here it is that the difference between a 
good fruit grower and a bad one is so evident. The 
former will get as much out of his trees as he can 
without permanently weakening them, the latter is so 
blinded by the ideas of the present that he loses 
sight of the requirements of the future, and it may be 
by one very heavy crop, drives his trees to death or 
ruin. 
Many amateurs force Grapes and Peaches pretty 
early in the season, and we are led to pen these notes 
in order to give a timely warning against trying to do 
too much. Now a shelf near the glass in an early 
vinery is a capital place to grow Strawberries, in as 
far as heat goes. The same might be said of shelves 
in Melon pits ; but in both these instances there is an 
element of danger to creep in. 
Experienced cultivators know full well how fond 
red spider is of Strawberries growing under glass. 
Let but the plants get dry at the root, and the little 
pests are sure to make their appearance. In such a 
case the Vines or Melons soon get infested—a most 
serious matter, as it is a task of great difficulty to get 
rid of the offenders. 
Wherever Strawberries are placed, therefore, it 
should always be in a position where they can be 
syringed regularly. Clear water only should be 
given at the root until the fruit has set, but after that 
plenty of liquid manure must be given. 
From the foregoing remarks it will be seen that 
where possible, a small house entirely devoted to 
Strawberries is a very desirable feature. If this is 
properly fitted up with shelves it will hold a lot of 
plants. After the season is over it may be fumigated 
thoroughly before any other subjects are brought in. 
Shallots —These are preferred by not a few 
people to Onions, especially for pickling purposes. 
They have a peculiar flavour of their own, and this 
is doubtless the reason for the preference. In some 
rural districts in the southern counties it is always 
laid down as a rule by cottagers that Shallots should 
be planted on the shortest day, and taken up on the 
longest. In very few places, however, is it possible 
to plant at such an early date. The condition of the 
ground at the end of December is very rarely such 
as to warrant bting trodden on. Sometimes it is 
well on towards the end of February before a chance 
occurs to get on the ground. The present season, for 
instance, has heen rather unfavourable in this 
direction by reason of its wetness. Every day now 
is of consequence, and the bulbs should be got in as 
soon as possible. If large bulbs are required the 
divisions should be planted separately in rows, about 
a foot apart, nine inches being allowed between each 
set in the rows. For ordinary purposes the bulbs 
may be put in whole, a heavier crop being then 
forthcoming, and one that will be more useful for 
general purposes. 
Like Onions, Shallots love a deep rich soil. If a 
quantity of woodashes can be obtained this makes a 
capital dressing. Spread it evenly over the ground,and 
fork it well in, afterwards treading the ground firmly 
with the feet. It will be seen that in order to carry 
out these instructions the ground must be fairly dry. 
Campanula isophylla alba. — The present is a 
capital time to strike cuttings of this handsome little 
Campanula. Old plants which were cut back last 
autumn after blooming was over, and have passed 
the winter in cold frames, have by this time thrown 
up numbers of strong young shoots from the bottom. 
These make capital cuttings. If inserted now in 
sandy soil, and given a gentle heat they will root very 
readily in the space of a few weeks. Subsequent 
attention to potting on will insure a supply of plants 
that will come into bloom in July and August. A 
large sixty pot will be quite roomy enough for them. 
Larger specimens are easily obtained by potting up 
last year’s plants into q8’s or even 32's if they are 
strong enough. Overpotting, however, is a mistake, 
for not only is the size of the pots a direct dis¬ 
advantage in using the plants for derorative purposes, 
but pot-bound plants always flower more freely than 
others which have not had their root-run so 
restricted. It will be best to leave the potting up of 
these larger plants until the beginning of next month. 
Zonal Pelargoniums, that were grown on last 
summer for winter flowering and commenced to 
bloom about the beginning of November, are now 
getting very " leggy." They will continue to throw 
a few flowers for some weeks yet, which will be 
useful; but they look rather an eyesore, and hence 
they should be taken out of the conservatory and 
placed in a frame or pit where they can be protected 
from the frost. These old plants must on no account 
be neglected, as they will be useful in a variety of 
ways. First of all, the cuttings have to be thought 
about, in order to supply stock for the coming winter. 
After they have been cut back slightly, shaken out of 
their old pots and re-potted into a size larger, they 
will grow into capital stuff for filling ornamental 
vases in the flower garden during the summer. 
Meanwhile, the plants will not require very much 
water after the cuttings have been taken from them, 
and, of course, no manurial stimulants whatever 
should be applied. 
Snowdrops in Pots.—Although the Snowdrop can 
scarcely be said to look happy when grown in pots 
or pans, and flowered indoors, there is no doubt that 
a few pots of it come in very useful. The bulbs 
should have been potted up in the autumn and 
covered with ashes for five or six weeks to make 
roots. They will not bear forcing in the same way 
as Hyacinths, but by merely giving them the shelter 
of a cold frame, they come into bloom very readily 
by the middle of January. Galanthus Elwesii is, 
perhaps, the best for this sort of work. Some people 
like the double forms, but really their stiffness seems 
to be aggravated when they are grown in pots. Still 
they usually flower freely, and there is plenty of 
room for difference of opinion upon the point. 
Cocos weddeliana —Young plants of this pretty 
Palm are in great request for decoration in the 
drawing-room, where, sad to say, they suffer terribly. 
Sometimes, only a few days are sufficient to cripple 
them, the delicate young fronds being fairly curled up. 
Instead of throwing them away they may be brought 
round again by careful treatment. If a corner in a 
warm house is available, a bed of cocoanut fibrerefuse 
should be made up, and the cripples knocked out of 
their pots and planted in it. An occasional sprinkle 
with the syriDge on favourable occasions will greatly 
assist them, and they will root freely into the 
cocoanut fibre, and will make new fronds at the same 
time. By the beginning of the summer they should 
have sufficiently recovered to be ready for service 
again, and as they will then have brighter weather, 
and be less subject to the weakening influences of fires 
and gas, they will last longer in condition. 
Gloxinias.—Throughout the winter months the 
tubers have been reposing peacefully in their pots 
beneath the stage just as they were dried off at the 
end of the season. In order to start them into 
growth, they must be brought out to the light and 
placed in a temperature of about 60 Fahr. Do not 
attempt to knock them out of their pots just yet, but 
give occasional waterings so as to gradually reduce 
the soil to a state of moistness. It is a mistake to 
deluge the plants with water at frequent intervals. 
Afterwards they should be gently sprinkled with the 
syringe twice a day, and then in a week or two, when 
they have made growths about 1 in. long, pot them 
off. 
Seedlings may be flowered within six months 
from the date of sowing. Hence there is no need to 
resort to such methods of propagation as leaf 
cuttings, except in cases of specially good varieties 
that it is desired to increase. A sowing may be 
made now to flower about the end of July. Raising 
plants from seed has always a charm attached to it, 
as there is the chance of securing new and improved 
varieties. Use shallow pans, well drained, and filled 
with light sandy soil to within 1 in. of the top. Sow 
thinly and cover the pans with a piece of glass. 
Stand them in a temperature of about 6o° Fahr. 
Gloxinias love a moderate amount of heat and 
moisture. As the sun’s rays have more power, a 
light shading of the seed pans in the middle of the 
day may be necessary.— Rex. 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
"Amateurs' Page ” on the top of their letters. 
A Geranium Wall is what Amateur wishes to obtain 
and asks for advice as to how to get it. The first 
thing to do is to see that a bed or border of good soi 
is made—say two parts of loam to one of old horse 
droppings, and that it is well drained. This latter is 
a most important consideration, and if it is not 
attended to, the plants will not last in condition for 
very long. The wall should be wired, as this gives 
greater facilities for tying the growths. The back 
wall of a vinery may be turned to account thus. 
Plenty of flowers will be forthcoming in the early 
part of the year, but the plants will look rather 
sickly when they are deprived of light owing to the 
Vines breaking into leaf. 
Smilax.—Will you tell me how to grow Smilax. I 
can keep my greenhouse up to a temperature of 50° 
through the winter months,— Y. G. 
You may either grow the Smilax in pots, or plant 
it out in a prepared bed of loam and leaf soil. The 
latter way is very much the better. A warm green¬ 
house such as yours will suit it admirably. Smilax 
may be propagated either by seeds, cuttings, or 
divisons of the root. Strings are the best material 
for it to c'itnb up. The growths take more kindly to 
it than they do to wires, and besides, when required 
for table decoration, it is very easy to cut the strings 
without troubling to unwind them. 
Planting Nymphaeas .—Enquirer has a small 
pond in his garden in which he would like to have 
some Water Lilies growing. He asks how he shall 
plant them, also when will be the best time to plant. 
If you can let the poolrun dry without much trouble, 
the plants may be buried straightaway in the mud at 
the bottom. In such a case, however, it will be 
necessary to see that they are firmly planted, other¬ 
wise the stout rootstocks of the yellow Lily (Nupbar 
luteum) will float to the top. A capital plan is to 
put the roots into baskets or boxes filled with soil, 
and pluDge them in the water. This will admit cf 
shifting them from one place to another if desired. 
Planting may be done at any time before growth 
commences, but as the latter will not take place for 
some time yet, there is no hurry. 
Figs out of doors.—You may plant a Fig against 
the south wall, M. T. During ordinary seasons you 
should obtain a good crop of fruit from it. Brown 
Turkey is far and away the best variety for outdoor 
planting. 
Potting Adiantums—A capital season to perform 
this, Y., is about the end of the present month. The 
sun has not then got enough power to try the plants 
very severely. If your plants are commencing to 
throw up young fronds that is a sign that they may 
be potted very soon. If you wish to divide the 
plants you must make a start a little sooner, and 
before the fronds have got very advanced, otherwise 
the check will work considerable damage. 
Planting out Peas.— Woods has sown some Peas 
in pots and wishes to know when they will be fit for 
planting out. 
It will not be safe, at least before the middle of 
March, and perhaps not then, as we sometimes get a 
gentle reminder in the shape of frost and snow that 
winter is not yet over at that particular season. It 
is well, therefore, to spare the plants such a trying 
experience. Another thing ! do not plant when the 
ground is wet. 
Stock Seeds.—There is absolutely no reason why 
your own seed of Stocks should not be good, 
• N. Lewisham, particularly if you were careful to pull 
out all the plants with single flowers and weedy 
appearance. By all means give it a trial. Clean the 
seed at once for you may soon start to sow some 
under glass. 
Poor Cyclamens.—The blooms you sent us T. B., 
certainly deserved to be called poor. There may be 
several reasons for this. Perhaps your plants were 
badly treated in the earlier stages, or they may be 
old ones, and the flowers small on that account. 
