744 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 24, 1897. 
HINTS FOR MMATEURS. 
Strawberries.— The greater part of the labour that 
it is necessary to bestow upon the Strawberry has to 
be got through within a comparatively small time 
limit. Scarcely have the last fruits been gathered 
from the plants than propagation has to be paid 
attention to. It is not a good plan to keep the old 
plants growing on year after year, because the fruit 
they yield gradually becomes very inferior in size 
and quality as well as quantity, and this for two 
reasons. First of all the plants themselves are 
seriously handicapped by the weakness of old age. 
Then the soil become impoverised to a considerable 
extent, and although manures of various sorts may 
be applied this does not quite obviate the difficulty. 
Any soil which is to grow good Strawberries must of 
necessitycontain liberal supplies of suitable plant food, 
and, moreover, must yield up these supplies freely 
and readily. The Strawberry requires a great deal 
of food within a comparatively short time, and 
although it does not take much out of the soil for 
the greater part of the year its requirements during 
the flowering and fruiting periods are very great. 
As a rule, from three to four years is quite long 
enough for a Strawberry plantation to be allowed to 
remain. After the lapse of that length of time the 
fruit is distinctly second rate in quality and yield. 
Some growers, indeed, and their numbers seem to 
be on the increase rather than otherwise, prefer to 
treat the plant as an annual, i.e., raising and fruiting 
it within the year. Now while there is a good deal to 
be said for the practice in cases where only the finest 
fruit is in demand, it would entail a good deal of un¬ 
necessary labour in the case of the majority of 
amateur growers, who want plenty of fruit of fair 
quality, with the minimum of trouble and expense. 
There are other growers who go to the other 
extreme and work their plantations to death, and 
instances are forthcoming of cases where beds have 
been in existence for eight, nine, and ten years. 
This must be regarded as exceedingly bad garden¬ 
ing, however. 
In a garden where three or four plots of Straw¬ 
berries are grown it is a good plan to destroy the 
oldest bed each year, and make a new one to take its 
place. Thus it is necessary to raise a quantity of 
young plants each year in addition to those required 
for forcing, where the latter is carried on. Every 
healthy Strawberry plant throws out from its centre 
a number of runners. These take root in the ground 
naturally, and produce young plants connected with 
the parent by long, slender, creeping stems. The 
gardener takes advantage of this habit on the part of 
the Strawberry to increase his stock as he wishes. 
Once the young plants have struck root, and this 
they do very expeditiously, the connection between 
them and the parent is of no importance, as they are 
perfectly able to support themselves, and lead an 
independent existence. 
As soon as the fruit is gathered off must come the 
nets from the beds and “ layering,” that is pegging 
down the young runners, must commence. If left 
alone these runners would root into the vacant ground 
lying between the rows. Some cultivators allow 
them to do thi=, and leave the beds just as they are 
until the runners have made sufficient roots to 
warrant shifting. They are then planted straight 
away in their fruiting quarters. The system gener¬ 
ally adopted, however, is to layer into small pots 
filled with soil. Small 6o-sized pots will be found 
very handy, and quite large enough for all purposes, 
as the layer should not be allowed to stay in them 
for long. In preparing the pots put one crock only 
in th bottom, and fill up with any soil that may be 
obtainable. Some which has been used previously 
for Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, or other pot plants, will 
answer admirably. Make this soil fairly firm. A 
quantity of fairly stout wooden pegs will also be re¬ 
quired. These should be about 3 in. in length, and 
have a good hook at the end. 
In layering, choose the strongest runners bearing 
vigorous little buds or plants with three or four 
leaves to each. Scrape a little hole in the soil in the 
pot so as to receive the base of the bud, and keep the 
young plant in its place by pegging it firmly down 
with one of the pegs previously referred to. This is 
really al l there is to do, as far as layering itself goes. 
All that remains is to keep the plants well supplied 
with water daily. In a few weeks they may be 
severed from the old plants, and shifted out of the 
way so as to admit of the old plants being trimmed 
over, and the bed put ship-shape again. 
Yiolets. —Young plants of Neapolitan, Marie 
Louise, Comte de Brazza, and other double Violets 
resulting from division of the old plants in May will 
want a little attention now, for the weather has been 
very trying of late. The best place for them through¬ 
out the summer is a cool border facing either to the 
north or to the east. Here they are not distressed 
by the fierce rays of the sun; although the dry 
weather is bound to have a weakening effect upon 
them. If good strong plants are required for the 
filling of frames, or for pot work, by the end of 
September they must be assisted now by every 
possible means. They are given to making a lot of 
runners, which weaken them to no purpose. They 
should be gone over occasionally, therefore, and all 
the runners cut back. Weeds must be kept down, 
and the surface soil between the plants should be 
stirred now and again by means of the Dutch hoe. 
A few good soakings of clear water also will do them 
all the good in the world. 
Carnations. —Just now the Carnations are the 
most conspicuous flowers in the flower garden, 
although the bright weather has been trying them 
sadly. The sun is sure to take the colour from many 
of the flowers, particularly the rose-coloured ones- 
This shows how necessary it is to grow a few plants 
under glass where they can be shaded, when 
flowers are required for show purposes. For con¬ 
servatory decoration, moreover, a few pot of Carna¬ 
tions are no bad stock. If it is desired to keep 
the collection up to a good standard notes should be 
taken of any flake or bizarre forms in which the 
colours have run. These sections are very fond of 
this behaviour, and it is oftentimes a matter of 
difficulty to keep the class markings true for very 
long. A bizarre or flake that has gone wrong is 
usually a very poor object, and may as well be 
marked for destruction at once. 
Seedling Carnations. —The raising of Carnations 
from seed is a most interesting occupation, and pro¬ 
vided the seed is obtained from a reliable course, 
is not an unprofitable one. Every little plant is a 
store of possibilities of great things, and if the greater 
part of them prove to be worthless it mikes the 
pleasure of finding a good thing all the sweeter when 
it does come. Naturally among a batch of seedlings 
there will be many weedy and worthless varieties, 
and the flowers will show all stages from single to 
double with a wondrous variety of colours. The 
flowers of most of them, if of no great merit, as 
judged from the florist’s high standard, yet come in 
very useful for cutting, and give a blaze of colour in 
the garden. It will go against the grain, therefore, 
to pull them out now, but the good varieties must be 
marked in order that they may be cared for and 
propagated presently. 
Spiraea ariaefolia. —This, the white beam-leaved 
Spiraea, is ore of the best of the members of the 
hard-wooded section of the genus, and one of the 
handsomest shrubs in the flower garden during July. 
In appearance, of course, it is altogether different to 
the plant which is popularly known as Spiraea 
japonica, and which is not a Spiraea at all but an 
Astilbe. It is an erect bushy shrub growing to a 
height of from 6 ft. to 8 ft. It takes on a very 
symmetrical appearance, and is admirably adapted 
fcr planting to form specimens in small beds near 
the house. In such a position its elegance and 
beauty are much better displayed than when the 
plant is cramped away in a shrubbery amongst o'.her 
subjects. It is perfectly hardy, and will grow in 
almost any soil, although it prefers a rich, deep, and 
well worked medium to root in. Given such con¬ 
ditions it grows vigorously, and flowers freely each 
year. The flowers are produced in large drooping 
panicles, and are of a rather dirty white shade of 
colour. It is a native of America, where it is most 
abundant on the north western coast, and from 
whence it was introduced in T827. It has thus had 
plenty of time to make its merits known, but up to 
the present it can scarcely be claimed that its value 
has been fully recognised. For amateurs’ gardens it 
can scarcely be too highly praised. It resists the 
smoke fairly well, but, as may be expected, dees 
batter in the country than in the town.— Rex. 
--— 
Tim Cinnamon Gardens of Ceylon are said to yield 
from 250 lbs. to 500 lbs of Cinnamon per acre. 
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. 
Gloire de Dijon Rose— S. Craig : The plant has 
evidently been greatly neglected, and has possibly 
not seen a pruning knife for a considerable number 
of years. The dead wood may, of course, be cut out 
at any time : there is no necessity to wait for winter 
to do that. The remainder of the pruning, however, 
must be left until the latter season. For the present, 
after cutting the dead branches clean out it will be 
well to drive in a few nails, tie up the larger branches 
roughly so as to prevent them from being broken by 
autumn gales. After growth is over you may make 
an effort to properly prune and train the tree. We 
shall be pleased to give further particulars if you 
require them. 
Strawberry Plantations .—David N .: Three years 
is a good time to allow Strawberry plantations to 
stand. Some growers plant each year, and claim 
that they get finer fruit thereby, which is doubtless 
true. At the same time excellent fruit and plenty of 
it is borne by the plants in the second and third 
years. After then, the size and quantity decrease 
materially. 
Manures for Calanthes.— You will find liquid 
cow manure a capital stimulant for the Calanthes, 
Dodo. You may give it at alternate waterings with 
excellent results. Strive to get the liquid without 
any of the solid matter. It may be necessary to 
strain it through a piece of coarse canvas in order to 
get it sufficiently clear. 
Ringing a Dracaena.— IF. L. T. has a tall plant 
of Dracaena congesta which is too large for him. 
Accordingly, be wishes to take off the top and obtain 
a young plant from it. A friend advised him to 
"ring” the tip of the plant, as this is safer than 
cutting it off and putting it in as a cutting. He 
writes to ask for instructions as to how to do the 
" ringing." 
Take a sharp knife and make two circular cuts 
round the stem through the bark, about one-third of 
an inch apart. The zone of bark may then be 
removed. Bind up the wound with a little damp 
sphagnum moss, keeping the latter in place by 
means of strings of raffia bound firmly round. This 
moss must be kept damp by means of syringing. 
Roots will then be made in the moss and in a few 
weeks time sufficient roots will have been made to 
warrant the severance of the top from the main stem 
It may then be potted up in ordinary soil. 
Croton Queen Yictoria.— I have a plant of this 
Croton in a 6-in. pot. It is about 18 in. in height 
but has not been doing at all well of late. The soil 
appears to be full of roots. Would you advise 
repotting.— D. Garson. 
The probability is that your Croton has not 
sufficient nutriment, but we would not advise you to 
pot it now. A 6-in. pot should be quite large enough 
for a plant of the size. You must feed it therefore 
with manures. Try some liquid cow manure 
prepared in the same way as that recommended to 
Dodo. To this add a little clear soot water, and 
give enough of the stimulant to nicely colour the 
water that you use for watering. If root action is 
pretty vigorous this stimulant may be given about 
once a day. 
Tomatos. — About the middle of June I had a mis¬ 
fortune with one of my Tomato plants and broke it 
in two about half way down the stem. I carefully 
adjusted the two pieces and tied them firmly 
together. I notice now that a complete union has 
been formed, and the former wound is only marked 
by a slight swelling. Is this an uncommon 
occurence ?— J ., Reading. 
Possibly not so common as it would be were it not 
for the fact that few people who break a Tomato in 
such a manner take the trouble to bind up the pieces 
in the way you have done. There is nothing extra¬ 
ordinary, however, about the two pieces growing 
together. They probably would, in nine cases out of 
ten, if the binding up was well done. 
