July  22,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
69 
especially  warm  in  the  case  of  the  wonderful  octogenarian,  with 
soldier-like  carriage,  bright  eye,  and  strong  clear  voice.  Sir  Joseph 
Dalton  Hooker  of  Kew,  the  grand  old  man  of  the  botanico- 
horticultural  world. 
STRAWBERRY  CULTURE. 
Time  of  Planting. 
The  competition  of  present  times  demands  that  everything  we 
take  in  hand  must  produce  some  result  as  quickly  as  possible.  This 
remark  applies  with  great  force  to  Strawberry  growing.  No  one 
likes  to  wait  two  seasons  for  a  crop  when,  by  a  little  extra  atten¬ 
tion,  a  good  one  may  be  secured  ten  months  after  the  beds  are 
planted.  The  secret  of  success  in  the  whole  matter  is  to  start 
early  with  good  plants  as  previously  advised,  and  set  them  in  their 
permanent  positions  during  the  first  week  in  August.  If  this 
practice  is  followed  with  such  early  varieties  as  Laxton’s  No.  1, 
Noble,  and  Royal  Sovereign,  a  warm  position  being  chosen,  ripe 
fruit  will  be  obtained  at  least  a  week  earlier  than  from  two-year- 
old  plants.  From  a  market  point  of  view  this  is,  of  course,  an 
immense  gain. 
The  next  point  to  consider  is  the  amount  of  space  to  be 
allowed  for  each  plant.  This  must,  to  a  great  extent,  be  regulated 
by  the  nature  of  the  soil  and  the  length  of  time  the  bed  is  to 
remain  before  being  destroyed.  In  light  soils  the  early  varieties 
are  the  most  satisfactory  if  grown  on  the  one-year  system.  The 
rows  should  then  be  30  inches  apart,  and  the  plants  18  inches  in 
the  rows,  each  being  kept  to  a  single  crown.  This  allows  a 
good  amount  of  vacant  space  between  the  plants,  so  that  the  warm 
sunshine  of  spring  acting  upon  it  induces  early  fruitfulness,  a  point 
which  cannot  be  too  strongly  impressed  upon  the  minds  of  all  who 
strive  to  obtain  early  crops. 
Early  this  season  I  called  on  a  market  grower  noted  for  his 
early  crops  of  Strawberries  ;  he  was  at  the  time  picking  fine  fruits 
of  Noble,  which  were  in  great  demand.  I  noticed  at  once  that  his 
young  plants  had  plenty  of  space  between  them  ;  but,  curiously 
enough,  he  remarked  in  the  course  of  conversation  that  he  thought 
he  would  set  his  plants  a  little  closer  this  year,  as  he  hoped  by  so 
doing  to  get  a  still  heavier  crop.  I  at  once  told  him  that  he  would 
make  a  great  mistake  if  he  did,  for  although  be  might  get  a 
heavier  crop  it  would  not  be  so  profitable,  as  thin  planting  and 
young  plants  were  the  two  reasons  why  he  placed  his  fruit  on  the 
market  slightly  before  his  neighbours  ;  and  I  added.  Plant 
closely  so  that  the  leaves  of  the  plants  almost  cover  the  ground, 
and  you  will  be  no  longer  noted  for  early  Strawberries.  He  was 
convinced  at  once,  and  will  keep  to  his  well-tried  distances  in 
the  future. 
Midseason  and  late  varieties  do  not  require  so  much  space,  as, 
of  course,  the  object  of  the  cultivator  is  not  to  get  them  early,  but 
to  secure  heavy  crops  extending  over  as  long  a  period  as  possible. 
Yet  these  are  often  planted  too  closely  in  gardens  where  the  soil  is 
very  rich,  through  having  been  highly  cultivated  for  years.  In 
such  instances  3  feet  between  the  rows,  the  plants  being  set  2  feet 
asunder,  is  not  too  much.  For  field  culture,  and  in  moderately 
rich  or  light  garden  soils,  plant  in  rows  30  inches  apart,  and 
24  inches  in  the  rows. 
Planting. 
After  having  been  deeply  dug  and  allowed  to  dry  upon  the 
surface,  heavy  soils  will  need  little  additional  preparation  ;  the 
little  required  is  to  reduce  lumps  to  moderately  small  pieces  with 
the  hoe  and  make  the  surface  of  the  bed  uniformly  level.  Light 
soils  should,  however,  be  made  firm  by  treading  or  rolling,  so  as  to 
induce  both  roots  and  leaves  to  make  short  sturdy  growth.  If 
planted  in  loose  soil  the  young  plants  make  wonderful  progress 
in  the  early  stages,  at  the  expense  of  fruitfulness  at  the  critical 
time. 
Good  and  careful  planting  is  essential  to  success.  Home-raised 
plants  may  often  be  lifted  with  a  good  ball  of  earth  attached,  then 
if  care  is  taken  to  have  the  soil  in  a  moist  condition  when  lifting 
takes  place,  the  plants  scarcely  feel  any  check  from  being  trans¬ 
planted.  Plants  turned  out  of  small  pots  should  have  the  roots 
disentangled  and  spread  out  in  an  even  manner,  so  that  every  rootlet 
may  be  in  a  position  to  take  hold  of  the  new  soil  as  quickly  as  | 
possible.  When  the  stock  of  plants  is  obtained  from  a  distance 
there  is,  of  course,  practically  no  soil  attached  to  the  roots.  In 
such  instances  proper  or  improper  planting  exercises  a  marked 
infiuence  upon  the  future  progress  of  them. 
BuflBciently  large  holes  should  be  dug  with  a  trowel  to  allow 
the  roots  to  be  spread  out  evenly  in  all  directions.  When  this  is 
done  the  soil  should  be  placed  upon  them,  and  be  pressed  or 
trodden  firmly,  or  very  firmly,  according  to  the  nature  of  the 
mould.  The  crown  of  each  plant  ought  to  be  just  above  the  surface 
of  the  soil,  but  the  neck  or  collar  must  be  covered. 
After  giving  the  plants  a  good  watering  mulch  the  ground 
with  short  manure,  then,  except  in  the  case  of  prolonged  drought, 
additional  waterings  will  not  be  needed,  but  syringing  on  bright 
afternoons  for  a  few  days  will  greatly  benefit  the  plants.  Through¬ 
out  the  autumn  and  in  early  spring  all  runners  must  be  persistently 
removed,  so  as  to  concentrate  the  energies  of  the  plant  in  a  single 
crown,  as  plump  well  ripened  crowns  thinly  disposed  are  the 
delight  of  the  experienced  Strawberry  grower,  as  they  indicate  the 
same  promising  state  of  affairs  as  do  fruit  trees  bristling  with 
buds,  around  which  light  and  air  have  been  allowed  to  perform  their 
important  work. — Pomona. 
(To  be  continued.) 
PRECEPT  AND  PRACTICE. 
“The  Amenities  of  Life.” 
{Continued  from  page  3.) 
The  transition  from  serving  to  ruling — from  a  subordinate 
position  to  that  of  a  head  gardener — however  long  it  may  have 
been  anticipated,  however  seriously  it  may  have  been  contem¬ 
plated,  brings  one  at  a  bound  under  the  full  fire  of  criticism,  and, 
according  to  circumstances,  within  the  pale  of  social  laws  hitherto 
but  vaguely  defined.  Happy  the  young  man  who  is  prepared  for 
such  things.  Classing  bothy  manners  as  a  few  that  are  good,  more 
that  are  bad,  and  the  bulk  of  which  may  be  termed  indifferent,  the 
first  we  would  retain,  the  next  eliminate,  and  with  the  latter,  the 
largest  class,  endeavour  to  feel  the  necessity  of  moulding  them  for 
use  and  adornment  in  the  new  position. 
Here  and  there,  in  all  phases  of  life,  towers  up  some  rugged 
character  whose  genius  gives  a  license  that  few  dare  usurp  ;  and  in 
our  own  vocation  are  possibly  to  be  found  men  of  high  ability  and 
sterling  merit  who  are  known  as  “  rough  diamonds,”  who  shine  in 
barbaric  splendour,  free  from  that  polish  which  would  so  greatly 
enhance  their  gifts.  Politeness  is  a  garment  which  shows  to 
incalculable  advantage  upon  the  shoulders  of  youth,  and  superior 
judgment  will  award  to  the  young  wearer  many  marks  towards  the 
prize  he  seeks.  It  is  not  entirely  a  case  of  conversation  or  of 
correspondence,  of  dress  and  address,  or  of  those  little  penalties 
exacted  from  all  who  form  the  links  of  a  social  circle  ;  but  it 
includes  those  nicer  distinctions  which  on  the  one  hand  elevate  a 
man  above  the  commonplace,  and  on  the  other  tone  down  that 
natural  exultation  attendant  upon  success,  showing  the  possession 
of  a  well-balanced  mind  not  swayed  by  every  breeze  of  fortune, 
good  or  ill . 
I  have  one  example  in  my  mind’s  eye  of  a  head  gardener  who 
appeared  to  my  youthful  vision  as  an  Admirable  Crichton  in  his 
conformation  to  the  amenities  of  life.  His  station  of  success  was 
doubtless  reached  by  two  particular  lines  of  conduct.  The  one  of 
“  scientific  and  practical  competency  ;  ”  the  other  by  a  clear  under¬ 
standing  and  due  regard  of  our  subject.  As  manners,  good  or  bad, 
are  decidedly  contagious,  and  in  no  simpler  way  could  much  that  the 
subject  includes  be  more  clearly  conveyed,  a  brief  biographical 
sketch  of  an  honoured  master  may  be  given  here. 
He  was  a  self-made  man  who,  hy  sound  judgment  and  sheer 
industry,  overcame  all  obstacles  iu  the  race  ;  his  early  life,  indeed, 
being  little  less  than  an  obstacle  race.  Native  of  a  particular 
county,  where,  amongst  the  class  from  which  he  sprang,. the  Queen’s 
English — “  as  she  is  spoke  ” — is  all  but  unintelligible  outside  a 
given  area,  an  indefatigable  zeal  to  overcome  what  was  early  felt  to 
be  a  serious  disadvantage  resulted  in  his  becoming  a  veritable 
purist  in  conversation,  whilst  the  same  means,  judging  from  various 
letters  I,  as  a  young  man,  was  privileged  to  receive  from  him, 
showed  that  in  the  art  of  polite  letter  writing  he  ^2,%  facile  princept. 
At  any  social  function,  where  his  services  were  required,  a  dignified 
demeanour  with  some  practical  knowledge  of  those  duties,  how 
acquired  I  know  not,  brought  him  through  the  ordeal  with  honours 
gracefully  worn. 
There  is  nothing,  I  believe,  better  calculated  to  self-advance¬ 
ment  generally,  or  more  conducive  to  self-reliance  than  public 
writing,  and  it  is  gratifying  to  find  such  excellent  work  telling  its 
own  tale  in  the  “Young  Gardeners’  Domain.”  These  young 
teachers  and  exponents  of  the  art  must,  I  think,  take  life  as  it 
should  be  taken,  seriously.  It  would  be  well  if  every  bothy  in 
the  kingdom  took  a  keen  interest  in  that  privileged  corner,  and 
it  is  no  disparagement  to  those  whose  practical  pens  are  in  evidence 
to  say  it  would  be  equally  gratifying  to  find  its  sphere  enlarged  by 
learners  as  well  as  teachers,  to  seek  knowledge  without  diffidence, 
and  to  court  criticism  without  fear. 
Conversation  in  the  bothy  is  not  always  of  the  most  edifying 
kind,  apart  fro  in  the  vernacular  of  those  distressing  dialects  which 
