October  5,  1E99. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
287 
splendidly.  Whatever  arrangements  are  made  for  storing,  it  should 
always  be  borne  in  mind  that  a  cool  temperature  and  a  dry,  still  air,  are 
conditions  essential  to  success  in  the  preservation  of  Apples  and  Pears. 
Of  the  latter  fruit  the  crops  are  as  a  rule  very  scanty,  but  large 
consignments  of  Hessle  have  found  their  way  to  the  markets  recently. 
The  harvest  of  root  crops  will  this  year  not  be  a  large  one  ;  in  the 
fields  they  are  almost  nil,  but  in  gardens  the  crops  of  Carrots  and  Beet 
are  fair  average  ones,  though  the  individual  roots  arc  smaller  than 
usual,  a  fault — if  fault  it  bs — which  the  cook  will  not  often  complain 
about.  Forks  and  ploughs  havo  recently  been  busy  unearthing  good 
samples  of  the  indispensable  tuber;  the'e  are  not  overgrown  as  in 
some  former  years,  and  are  generally  sound  and  clean.  As  yet  I  have 
met  with  little  disease,  and  the  sooner  all  Potatoes  are  lifted  the 
better,  for  if  the  present  damp  cold  weather  does  not  bring  disease  it 
will  favour  further  sprouting  if  frosts  keep  off. 
Through  these,  and  the  many  other  matters  which  require  atten¬ 
tion,  willing  hands  will  be  kept  busy  during  the  shortening  days  of 
autumn.  How  wise  and  sound  are  the  natural  laws  which  tend  to 
give  us  so  long  a  season  of  harvest,  thus  spreading  the  great  work  of 
ingathering  over  a  conveniently  long  period— a  period  made  bright 
by  thankful  rejoicings  as  the  successive  crops  of  Mother  Earth  are 
gathered  in. — II.  D. 
USEFUL  BULBS. 
Without  going  into  details  of  culture  in  these  notes,  it  might  be 
interesting  to  some  readers  if  a  list  of  indispensable  bulbs  was  given 
for  producing  a  supply  of  blooms,  either  for  cutting  or  decoration, 
from  the  middle  of  December  to  the  month  of  May. 
v  The  bulbs  which  ought  to  be  procured  and  potted  at  once  are 
Pioman  Hyacinths.  Only  the  white  variety  should  be  grown,  as  the 
blue  Roman  Hyacinth  is  not,  as  a  rule,  satisfacto-y.  Roman  Hyacinths 
are  comparatively  small  bulbs  when  compared  with  the  larger  Dutch 
varieties,  and  while  one  bulb  of  the  latter  will  require  a  5-inch  pot, 
the  same  size  accommodates  four  or  five  Romans ;  100  bulb3  are 
therefore  necessary  to  make  about  twenty  pots. 
Paper  White  and  Roman  Narcissi  are  also  early  flowering,  and 
follow  closely  on  Roman  Hyacinths.  Of  the  two  varieties  the  Paper 
White  is  the  betcer,  but  not  quite  so  early  as  the  Roman.  It  is, 
however,  more  effective,  though  neither  surpasses  the  Roman  Hyacinth 
for  sweetness,  purity,  and  floriferousness. 
Freesias  are  excellent  bulbs  for  early  flowering,  but  they  do  net 
like  forcing.  To  have  them  as  early  as  possible  the  bulbs  should  be 
potted  in  August,  and  grown  under  cool  conditions,  as  they  are  better 
and  stronger  in  every  way  when  allowed  tc  grow  to  a  flowering 
condition  gradually.  A  shelf  in  a  cool  greenhouse  is  the  best  place. 
Double  English  Daffodils  (telamonius  plenus)  are  showy,  being 
readily  grown  and  forced  in  pots,  or  in  quantity  in  boxes. 
Tulips  maybe  had  in  bloom  in  January  in  pots  or  boxes.  The 
best  early  Tulips  are  the  Due  Van  Thols,  the  scarlet  variety  being 
specially  useful  for  its  brilliance  in  the  dead  of  winter,  but  they  must 
have  bottom  heat  to  bring  them  into  blocm.  There  are  also  white, 
rose,  yellow,  violet,  scarlet,  and  orange  varieties.  These  prove 
serviceable  for  succession.  The  second-early  single-flowering  Tulips 
will  continue  the  display,  good  varieties  being  Artus,  Cottage  Maid, 
Crimson  Beauty,  Joost  van  Vondel,  Keizers  Kroon,  Pottebakker,  and 
Vermilion  Brilliant.  Of  doublo  Tulips  select  red  and  yellow  Due 
Van  Thol,  Blanche  Hative,  rubra  maxima,  and  Tournesol  for  the 
early  flowering,  and  Eastern  Queen,  La  Candeur,  rex  rubrorum, 
Rose  Blanche,  and  Titian  for  later. 
Snowdrops  arc  essentially  outdoor  flowering  bulbs,  which  when 
planted  come  up  every  year,  and  bloom  well ;  but  they  may  be  grown 
in  pots  if  planted  thickly,  and  not  subjected  to  much  heat.  Crocuses 
are  showy,  but  more  useful  for  decoration  as  pot  plants  than  for 
cutting.  The  named  varieties  are  the  finest  for  pot  culture.  Chionodoxa 
Lucilise  and  Scilla  praecox  are  charming  for  pans.  The  bulbs  are 
small,  and  must  be  planted  thickly  so  as  to  produce  a  fine  effect. 
The  main  bulbs  for  decorating  the  greenhouse  are  the  single  Dutch 
Hyacinths.  Good  heavy  bulbs  of  the  best  varieties  give  extraordinary 
fine  spikes  of  bloom  in  February  and  March.  The  finer  the  spikes  of 
bloom,  however,  the  less  adapted  it  is  to  cut  for  decoration.  For  the 
latter  purpose  the  cheaper  varieties,  or  second  year’s  bulbs,  may  be 
employed ;  but  most  growers  plant  out  their  old  bulbs  in  shrubbery 
borders.  The  flowers  come  in  well  for  cutting  in  April. 
The  trumpet  varieties  of  Narcissus  have  fine  large  blooms,  which 
make  an  imposing  display  in  the  early  spring.  Some  may  be  had 
early  by  potting  in  good  time  in  autumn  and  forcing  gently  after  the 
pots  are  full  of  roots.  A  good  representative  selection  ought  to  include 
the  following  varieties : — N.  Horsefieldi,  rugilobus,  princeps,  Trumpet 
Major,  Sir  Watkin,  Emperor,  Empress,  and  Henry  Irving. 
Among  the  Polyanthus  Narcissi,  ire  addition  to  Paper  White, 
include  Bathurst,  Her  Majesty,  Grootvorst,  Grand  Monarque,  Jaune 
Supreme,  Luna,  and  Soleil  o’Or.  The  bulbs  vary  in  size.  Of  some 
varieties  two  bulbs  may  fill  a  5-inch  pot.  The  very  largest  will 
require  a  single  pot,  and  four  bulbs  in  some  cases  may  bo 
accommodated. 
For  an  effective  late  display  the  beautiful  Narcissus  poeticus  and 
N.  p.  ornatus  must  not  be  forgotten.  These  bulb3  are  small,  and  five 
may  easily  be  placed  in  a  5-inch  pot.  They  flower  in  April  anl  May, 
and  are  really  the  most  charming  of  Narcissi  to  grow  in  quantity  in 
pots  and  for  massing  in  borders  outdoors. — E.  D.  S. 
EXPANSION  OF  THE  HOTHOUSE  INDUSTRY. 
( Concluded  from  page  269.) 
The  Forced  Strawberry  Industry. 
“  Thirty  years  ago  the  commercial  growers  of  forced  Strawberries 
might  be  counted  on  the  fingers  of  one  hand;  but  two  growers  were 
known  in  Covent  Garden  about  twenty  years  earlier.  The  first  was  a 
Mr.  Smith  of  Twickenham,  who  apparently  began  to  force  Strawberries 
for  market  at  least  fifty  years  ago.  He  is  not  now  living;  but  Mr. 
Richard  Clarke,  who  followed  his  example  forty-seven  years  back, 
was  visited  by  me  at  Twickenham  last  summer.  He  stated  that 
Mr.  Smith  began  forcing  Strawberries  many  years  before  he  started, 
but  did  not  mention  any  other  market  grower  who  was  as  early  in 
the  field. 
“  At  the  present  time  there  is  a  considerable  number  of  men  who 
make  Strawberry  forcing  their  principal  business.  The  great  majority 
of  them  arc  grouped  together  at  Belvedere,  Erith,  Eltham,  Svvanley, 
and  Bexley  Heath,  all  in  Kent,  while  there  are  growers  at  Hampton, 
Twickenham,  Swanley,  Worthing  (already  referred  to),  and  scattered 
places,  who  make  Strawberries  less  of  a  specialty. 
“  The  little  colony  of  Strawberry  forcers  at  Belvedere  is  particularly 
interesting,  because  it  consiscs  almost  entirely  of  growers  who  work 
on  a  small  scale ;  also  because  it  affords  the  most  considerable  example 
that  I  have  seen  of  the  use  of  untreated  glass  houses  in  this  country. 
“  The  Belvedere  glass  house  industry  is  carried  on  under  what  may 
be  style!  a  compact  and  simple  system.  Strawberries  occupy  the 
houses  from  Christmas,  or  a  week  or  two  earlier,  till  the  middle  of 
June;  then  Tomatoes  or  Cucumbers  take  their  place  up  to  the  middle 
of  October;  and  Chrysanthemums  follow  up  to  mid-December  or 
Christmas.  It  was  pleasing  to  see  qu'te  a  nice  little  business  estab¬ 
lished  in  many  an  instance  on  a  very  small  holding. 
“  When  Mr.  Court  started  there  were  very  few  glass  houses  in 
Belvedere,  whereas  now  there  are  many  thousands  of  feet,  and  in 
nearly  all  Strawberries,  Tomatoes,  or  Cucumbers,  and  Chrysan¬ 
themums  are  grown.  He  thinks  that  cool  houses  hold  their  own 
well  against  heated  houses  for  Strawberrie®,  and  he  does  not  use  heat 
much  f  r  Tomatoes,  but  needs  it  for  Chrysmthemums. 
“  Last  year  Mr.  Court  had  20,000  Strawberry  plauts  in  his  old 
houses,  and  this  year  40,000  in  the  oi  l  and  new  nurseries.  On  the 
morning  of  my  second  visit,  on  April  8th  last,  he  had  begun  picking 
Royal  Sovereign  Strawberries,  9  lbs.  having  been  sent  to  market.  The 
house  containing  this  earliest  lot  of  fruit  presented  a  most  pleasing 
appearance,  the  crop  being  the  best  I  have  seen,  probably  averaging 
fully  ^  lb.  per  pot,  or  at  least  an  ounce  over  the  average  obtained  by 
good  growers  generally.  All  the  crops  in  the  heated  houses  had  set 
their  fruit  well.  They  consisted  entirely  of  Royal  Sovereigns,  the 
Paxtons,  about  equal  in  number,  being. grown  in  the  cool  houses.  The 
pots  in  nearly  all  the  houses  were  on  the  ground  ;  but  on  my  first 
visit  I  saw  some  plunged  in  a  Mushroom  bed  on  a  stage  of  corrugated 
iron,  under  which  was  a  second  bed  for  Mushrooms  alone.  The 
Strawberries  are  said  to  start  the  better  for  being  plunged  in  the 
manure  of  the  Mushroom  bed,  and  the  fungi  grow  between  the  pots. 
“No  attempt  is  made  at  Belvedere  to  force  very  early  Strawberries, 
as  at  Worthing,  because  it  is  considered  that  such  forcing  would  not 
be  profitable.  Mr.  Court  explained  that,  whereas  Strawberries  tor 
fruiting  in  April  or  later  do  best  when  the  pots  are  placed  on  the 
ground,  very  early  plants  require  to  be  placed  on  stages,  or  on  inverted 
flower  pots,  to  promote  root  action.  All  his  plants  were  placed  in  the 
houses  in  December,  as  soon  as  Chrysanthemums  were  out  of  the  way  ; 
and  for  his  earliest  crop  he  began  firing  in  the  middle  of  January. 
“  A  curious  piece  of  information  was  elicited  by  a  remark  about  the 
directions  in  which  glass  houses  are  made  to  run.  It  is  usually 
supposed  that  houses  running  north  and  south  or  north-east  and  south¬ 
west  are  best,  because  the  sun  shines  about  equally  upon  both  sides  of 
the  roof;  but  Mr.  Court  always  grows  his  best  crops  of  Strawberries 
in  houses  running  east  and  west,  though  the  fruit  is  a  little  earlier  on 
the  south  than  on  the  north  side  of  each  house.  For  Tomatoes,  when 
planted  across  the  house,  he  regards  this  direction  even  more  advan¬ 
tageous  than  for  Strawberries,  because  the  midday  sun  shines  along 
the  rows  of  Tomato  plants. 
“  With  respect  to  prices,  tho  Belvedere  growers,  of  course,  do  not 
realise  such  high  rates  as  very  early  Worthing  fruit  commands ;  but 
the  day  before  Mr.  Court  began  to  gather  his  Strawbenies,  the  Covent 
Garden  quotation  was  6s.  to  8s.  per  lb.  Last  year  the  price,  after 
