70 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
getting  rooted  runners  on  straw-mulched  beds  last  year  because  of  the 
continued  absence  of  rain.  This  year  runners  have  rooted  freely  on 
soil  where  no  strawy  litter  has  been  used,  when  last  summer  watering 
had  to  be  resorted  to  before  any  roots  could  be  induced  to  form  at  all. 
In  some  seasons  ground  runners  are  equally  as  good  for  outdoor 
planting  as  pot  layers,  and  when  placed  in  their  permanent  quarters 
in  suitable  weather,  they  grow  almost  without  feeling  the  check.  This 
course  saves  much  labour  at  a  time  when  most  needed  ;  the  protection 
and  gathering  of  the  varied  crons  taxes  the  labour  staff  of  most  gardens 
when  brought  into  conflict  with  other  work  of  a  routine  character. 
It  is  an  excellent  practice  to  provide  plants  specially  for  layering^ 
-either  in  pots  for  forcing  or  outdoor  growth,  by  setting  apart  a  number 
proportionate  to  the  quantities  needed  for  each  purpose  on  borders 
conveniently  placed  for  their  special  treatment.  Young  plants  are 
best  for  this,  and  they  can  be  planted  later  than  others  which  are  to 
form  permanent  plantations.  Their  flower  spikes  ought  to  lie  removed 
as  soon  as  they  appear  in  spring,  so  that  their  whole  energy  is  concen¬ 
trated  on  the  runners.  By  allowing  an  additional  foot  of  space 
between  each  variety  they  can  be  more  easily  kept  separate,  and  the 
extra  space  will  he  helpful  to  those  entrusted  with  the  work  of 
layering.  Single  lines  are  planted  by  some  near  the  edges  of  the 
garden  paths,  so  that  the  pots,  whether  fruiting,  or  smaller  sizes  are 
used,  can  be  arranged  on  the  paths,  and  be  easily  attended  to  in  the 
-matter  of  water. 
Except  for  experimental  purposes  and  for  comparison  a  large  selec¬ 
tion  of  varieties  is  not  needed  for  home  or  market  use — indeed,  the  fewer 
there  are,  comparatively  speaking,  the  better  ;  but  it  is  well  to  intro¬ 
duce  new  comers,  with  a  view  to  comparing  them  in  all-round 
qualities  with  older  well-tried  varieties,  and  it  is  not  in  every  case 
true  wisdom  to  discard  after  one  year’s  trial.  The  longer  the  acquaint¬ 
ance  made  of  Royal  Sovereign,  the  less  favourable  is  my  opinion  of  it 
Vfor  outdoor  cultivation  ;  for  pots  its  reputation  remains  unchanged. 
Soil  plays  such  an  important  part  in  Strawberry  growing,  that  it 
is  not  always  safe  to  plant  largely  until  it  is  known  whether  the 
ground  is  really  suited  to  any  particular  sort.  There  is  great  unanimity 
•of  opinion  bearing  on  the  merits  of  Royal  Sovereign  as  a  forcing 
variety,  but  for  outdoor  culture  there  is  quite  as  varied  an  opinion, 
favourable  and  otherwise.  It  gives  a  poor  return  as  a  yearling  plant, 
and  with  greater  age  it  assumes  a  preponderance  of  leafage,  quite  out 
of  proportion  to  the  crop  of  berries.  The  older  Sir  Joseph  Paxton, 
■which  at  one  time  I  had  intended  to  discard,  will  yet  assume  its  old 
■  position,  because  it  suits  the  ground  better.  Alice  Maude  is  a  neat 
grower,  fruits  freely,  is  very  bright  in  its  colour,  but  its  quality  does 
not  equal  either.  It  is,  however,  a  most  desirable  sort.  Monarch  and 
Georges  Lesuir  are  both  too  shy  fruiting  to  justify  any  further  trial 
here,  and  Gunton  Park  with  me  is  not  very  free,  although  it  is  of 
high  quality  and  firm  fleshed.  This  resembles  Countess  in  appear¬ 
ance,  a  variety  that  does  well  in  the  R.IT.S.  Gardens  at  Chiswick. 
I  have  discarded  it  some  time  since,  because  of  its  small  crop.  Neither 
British  Queen  nor  Dr.  Hogg  unfortunately  satisfies  in  the  extent  of 
their  crop,  hut  further  opportunities  will  be  given  them. 
No  variety  I  have  planted  has  given  such  all-round  satisfaction  as 
Latest  of  All.  Its  berries  are  large  and  most  freely  borne.  The  plants 
are  moderate  in  growth  and  thus  need  less  space  than  some  others.  It 
pleases  purchasers  in  the  local  market,  and  is  highly  praised  in  the 
dining-room.  The  only  fault  raised  against  it  is  its  green  tip  when 
gathered  too  early.  Not  only  has  it  these  qualities,  but  it  is  the  heaviest 
bearing  sort  I  have,  “as  an  annual.”  Usually  two  seasons’ fruiting 
exhausts  its  constitution  by  reason  of  the  heavy  loads  matured.  I  am 
well  aware  that  it  is  not  known  by  such  a  good  name  with  many  other 
growers.  On  light  soils,  or  in  hot  situations,  I  have  seen  it  almost 
•defoliated  with  red  spider,  and  its  crops  of  little  value;  in  heavy  land 
its  constitution  is  not  sufficiently  robust.  The  soil  here  is  what  may 
be  described  as  medium,  being  neither  heavy  nor  very  light,  and 
having  a  subsoil  of  sandy  clay.  This,  made  fertile  with  timely  dress¬ 
ings  of  manure  preparatory  for  planting,  and  early  mulching  with 
fresh  litter,  meets  its  requirements  admirably. 
Many  other  sorts  have  been  tried  and  found  wanting,  and  thus 
July  27,  1899. 
have  given  place  to  a  reduced  list.  Eleanor  is  a  good  late  one,  hut 
not  so  very  free-bearing.  Loxford  Hall  is  i he  latest  of  all  I  grow, 
and  for  that  reason,  even  1  hough  the  crop  may  be  light,  it  is  invaluable. 
On  soil  overlaying  gravel  I  have  sien  wonderful  crops  of  this  variety. 
Leader  has  made  a  favourable  impression,  and  will  he  extended  both 
for  forcing  and  for  outdoor  growth. 
I  agree  with  “  Observer”  in  the  estimate  lie  places  on  the  value  of 
watering  with  sewage  or  even  clear  water,  but  in  so  many  gardens 
there  is  none,  or  but  slight  provision  for  carrying  out  such  heavy 
work.  In  light  ground  liquid  manure  poured  on  in  the  autumn 
materially  improves  the  future  crops.  In  the  absence  of  this  the 
only  alternative  is  to  apply  the  mulch  of  manure  early,  so  that  the 
utmost  use  may  be  made  of  it  through  the  winter’s  rain,  and  where 
means  allow  apply  a  surfacing  of  artificial  manure  under  the  mulch¬ 
ing. — W.  Strug nell.  Rood: Ashton. 
Barren  Strawberry  Runners. 
I  see  Mr.  A.  II.  Pearson,  on  page  33,  asks  the  “  writer  of  the  note  ” 
on  propagating  Strawberries  to  give  some  grounds  for  basing  the 
advice  relative  to  propagating  from  fruitful  plants  only.  In  the  first 
place  I  would  like  to  say  that  the  advice  is  based  not  only  on  the 
statements  of  the  best  authorities,  but  on  practical  experience  with  the 
variety  Noble  some  years  ago.  Some  plants  of  this  variety,  popular  at 
that  time,  were  obtained  from  a  nursery,  and  being  very  small  they 
were  planted  in  a  space  to  themselves.  They  made  fair  growth,  but 
did  not  fruit. 
Runners  were  propagated  from  them,  as  it  was  thought  these 
would  with  a  long  season  of  growth,  being  rooted  and  planted  early  in 
August,  be  able  to  produce  fruit,  but  every  plant  was  an  absolute 
failure  in  the  matter  of  fruiting.  They  were  planted  on  well  prepared 
ground  in  an  open  position,  making  remarkably  goed  growth,  but 
developed  no  trusses  of  bloom.  They  were  left  alone  for  another 
season,  and  again  the  plants  did  not  fruit.  Here  was  a  case,  then,  of 
propagating  from  unfruitful  plants,  with  the  result  that  the  cultivated 
progeny  also  exhibited  the  same  tendency.  This  corroborated  the 
advice  I  had  frequently  seen  given  hy  reliable  authorities,  and  I 
resolved  never  to  give  myself  the  trouble  again  of  raising  stock  from 
fruitless  plants,  or  to  advise  others  to  do  so. 
Practical  gardeners,  as  a  rule,  like  to  be  sure  that  their  work  will 
give  desired  results,  and  in  the  case  of  Strawberry  propagation  it  is 
the  well-known  practice  of  most  growers  to  distrust  runuers  from 
fruitless  plants.  They  do  not  care  to  waste  time  experimenting,  when 
they  know  that  Strawberry  plants  will  be  practically  certain  to  fruit 
if  the  old  plants  are  fruitful  the  same  year  runners  from  them  are 
rooted. 
It  is  interesting  to  know,  however,  from  Mr.  Pearson,  that  this 
“ancient  superstition,”  as  he  terms  it,  can  he  disproved.  Perhaps  the 
newer  varieties  are  improving  in  this  rest  ect,  and  it  will  be  no  longer 
necessary  for  gardeners  to  be  so  careful  in  seheting  runners,  but^to 
take  them  haphazard  from  any  plant  producing  tin  m.  Selecting  and 
propagating  the  best  has  always  been  a  principle  with  good  cultivators, 
and  is  no  doubt  followed  by  Mr.  Pearson.  Why  should  he  term  good 
practice  “superstition?”  What  he  thus  describes  is  the  best  advice 
that  could  be  given  to  busy  gardeners. — The  Writer. 
I  noticed  Mr.  Pearson’s  remarks,  page  33,  July  13th,  on  this 
subject.  Referring  to  some  past  statements  in  the  Journal,  he  seems 
to  regard  the  idea  of  inherently  fruitless  plants  as  an  ancient  super¬ 
stition.  Having  had  some  experience  on  this  question,  I  assure  him 
that  it  is  no  superstition,  but  a  real  live  fact,  and  it  is  necessary  to  be 
watchful  and  vigilant  to  prevent  being  victimised. 
Mr.  Pearson’s  remarks  with  respect  to  fruit  trees  and  Slrawherry 
plants  being  temporarily  barren  through  various  causes  may  be  quite 
true,  but  they  are  beside  the. mark.  The  baireu  plants  to  lie  avoided 
may  be  described  as  “rogues”  or  “sports” — a  reversion  probably  to 
some  primitive  type  in  the  evolution  of  the  Strawberry.  Whether  it 
is  so  or  not,  or  whether  the  change  is  peculiar  to  certain  soils,  I  know 
not.  That  the  change  occurs  in  our  soil  I  know  from  experience, 
and  have  had  on  more  than  one  occasion  to  discard  our  own  runners 
and  make  a  clean  start. 
A  Strawberry  plant  of  a  fruitless  character  is  good  to  tell.  I  can 
sometimes  discern  it  a  long  way  off.  The  foliage  stands  several  inches 
above  the  ordinary  type.  The  character  of  the  leaves  and  stalks  under¬ 
goes  a  change,  and  the  plant  is  altogether  more  robust.  If  examined 
