358 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
]\[av  4  1899. 
first  place,  It  is  a  native  of  purely  alpine  regions,  wl.ere  ample  light  is 
always  pifsent,  and  where  the  conditions  do  not  vary  so  much  winter 
and  summer  as  in  Britain.  Thus  in  summer  it  is  difficult,  even  by 
heavy  shading,  to  keen  them  cool  enough  ;  in  winter  our  dull  sunless 
days  are  very  distasteful,  and  we  have  to  do  the  best  possible  by 
keeping  the  glass  quite  clean,  and  the  plants  well  up  to  it.  The  usual 
Orchid  compost  of  peat  ar.d  moss  suits  it  well,  but  obviously  only  a 
little  is  necessary  for  such  small  growing  plants,  the  roots  of  which 
never  push  far  from  the  centre  of  growth. — H.  R.  R. 
THE  STRAWBERRY. 
Few  garden  plants  have  been  more  improved  by  cross-breeding, 
selection,  and  by  the  application  of  suitable  manures,  than  the  Straw¬ 
berry.  It  is  probable  also  that  more  money  may  be  made  by  the 
growth  of  Strawberries  in  the  open  air  of  this  country  than  by  any 
other  kind  of  fruit.  As  much  as  £20  per  acre  profit  has  frequently 
been  obtained,  and  when  the  best  varieties  have  been  cultivated,  it  is 
no  exaggeration  to  say  that  an  acre  of  this  fruit  will  realise  as  much 
as  £100.  The  forcing  of  Strawberries  under  glass  has  also  within  the 
past  few  years  opened  out  an  almost  new,  and  certainly  a  profitable 
industry.  The  quantity  of  Strawberry  fruit  obtained  per  acre  varies 
enormously,  ranging  from  75  bushels  to  300  bushels,  or  possibly  even 
more.  This,  however,  will  depend  largely  on  the  variety  grown, 
and  the  treatment  the  plants  receive.  As  no  plant  will  repay 
careful  culture  mire  than  the  Strawberry,  so,  on  the  other  hand,  few 
])lant3  deteriorate  so  quickly  if  they  are  neglected  or  improperly 
manured. 
Food  Requirements  op  the  Strawberry. 
In  order  to  understand  something  of  the  food  requirements  of  the 
Strawberry,  it  is  desirable  to  study  the  chemical  constituents  of  these 
plants,  and  the  fruit  they  produce. 
An  acre  of  Strawberry  plants  of  full  growth,  taken  without  the 
underground  roots,  would  probably  weigh  about  8  tons.  Of  this 
8  tons,  about  6  tons  would  consist  of  water  and  2  tons  of  dry  substance. 
A  good  yield  of  fruit  would  probably  weigh  10,000  lbs.  per 
acre;  this  quantity,  owing  to  its  succulence,  would  yield  only  half 
a  ton  of  dry  substance,  the  remainder  being  water. 
To  produce  these  amounts  of  dry  substance  in  the  Sti’awberry 
l-lants  and  in  the  fruit  it  is  necessary  that  there  be  taken  up  from 
each  acre  of  land  during  growth  and  development,  say  approximately, 
nitrogen  105  lbs.,  potash  110  lbs.,  lime  112  lbs.,  magmsia  17  lbs., 
r'hosphoric  acid  41  lbs.,  silica  50  Ib.s.,  and  seda  8  lbs.  Other  chemical 
elements  will  be  imbibed  also,  but  these  latter  we  need  not  take 
into  accouni,  as  they  are  usually  provided  in  sufficient  quantity  by 
fertile  soils. 
As  there  will  be  five  times  more  nitrogen  taken  up  by  the  growth 
of  an  acre  of  Strawberry  plants  then  there  will  be  by  an  average 
yield  of  Strawberry  fruit,  it  follows  that  in  order  to  secure  a  full 
crop  of  fruit  the  plants  must  be  brought  into  a  vigorous  and  sturdy 
habit  of  growth  for  the  purpose  of  assimilating  the  necessary  quantity 
of  carbon  from  the  atmosphere  for  the  building  up  of  the  fruit 
tissues,  which  has  to  be  done  very  rapidly,  as  the  fruiting  period  of 
the  Strawberry  is  of  short  duration.  Consequently  large  demands  will 
be  made  upon  the  soil  for  immediately  available  forms  of  ]Iant  food, 
especially  of  the  three  elements — nitrogen,  potash,  and  phosphoric  acid. 
This  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  100  lbs.  of  the  ashes  of  Strawberry 
plants  will  contain  26  lbs.  of  potash,  6  lbs.  of  phosphoric  acid,  and  1  lb. 
of  soda;  v;hile  100  lbs.  of  the  ashes  of  Strawberry  fruit  will  contain 
from  40  to  50  lbs.  of  potash,  from  14  to  16  lbs.  of  phosphoric  acid, 
and  from  8  to  10  lbs.  of  soda. 
The  Manuring  of  Strawberries. 
A  soil  to  be  in  a  suitable  condition  for  Strawberry  culture  as 
regards  fertility,  must  contain  a  large  excess  of  available  plant  food 
over  and  above  the  amount  that  can  be  utilised  by  the  immediately 
growing  crop,  since  it  cannot  be  supposed  that  the  roots  will  be  able 
to  absorb,  by  virtue  of  their  disposition  in  the  soil,  mere  than  a  com- 
para  ively  small  proportion  of  the  applied  fertilising  ingredients. 
The  old  adage  for  Strawberry  culture,  “  the  more  manure  the 
larger  the  crop,’'  may  hold  good  on  poor,  hungry  soils,  but  on  sound 
rich  loams,  rank  forcing  manures,  whether  natural  or  artificial,  should 
be  employed  with  caution.  If  farmyard  manure  and  rich  vegetable 
compost  are  used  in  excess,  or  a  large  quantity  of  strong  nitrogenous 
manures,  such  as  nitrate  of  scda,or  sulphate  of  ammonia,  then 
abundance  of  leaves  and  vigorous  runners  rather  than  fruit  will  be  the 
result, 
A  moderate  dressing  of  farmyard  manure  thoroughly  incorporated 
with  the  soil  during  the  winter  is  doubtless  a  capital  preparation  for 
Strawberry  culture,  as  this  will  keepr  the  soil  open,  [rorous,  and 
moisture-sustaining.  But  as  the  richest  soils,  even  when  assisted 
with  farmyard  manure,  contain  only  small  amounts  of  readily  assimi¬ 
lable  pfiant  food,  it  follows  that  judicious  applications  of  soluble 
artificial  manures  may  largely  aid  fiuit  production  if  these  are  applied 
in  eaily  spiing  before  active  growth  has  commenced. 
Let  old  dead  leaves  and  runners  be  removed  from  the  plants  arid 
the  ground  cleared  of  weeds,  then  apply  between  the  rows,  not  later 
than  February,  a  dressing  of  soot,  superphosphate,  and  protash  salt  in 
equal  prroportiens,  say  from  3  to  6  cwts.  per  acre.  This  will  be  found 
to  retard  injuricus  effects  from  slug.«,  as  well  as  feeding  the  pilant.®, 
causing  them  to  develop  a  sturdy,  robust  habit  of  growth,  which  is 
the  best  foundation  for  securing  a  full  yield  of  the  finest  fruit. 
Feeding  Strawberries  in  Pots. 
In  the  pot  culture  of  Strawberries  the  plants  are  necessarily  crarapred 
in  their  root  development,  and,  therefore,  require  special  care  in  feed¬ 
ing,  The  bemfit  of  good  liquid  manure  when  the  fruit  is  setting 
becomes  apparent.  A  solution  containing  h.alf  an  ounce  of  super¬ 
phosphate,  half  an  ounce  of  potash  salt,  and  quarter  of  an  ounce 
of  nitrate  of  soda  to  each  gallon  of  water  may  be  used.  This  manu:e 
must  not  be  applied  over  ti  e  leaves  and  blooms. 
A  good  liquid  manure  can  be  made  by  suspending  a  canvas 
bag  containing  sheep  droppings  and  so('t  in  a  tank  of  water  a  low 
days  before  being  required  for  use.— J,  J.  Wielis,  Harpetiden. 
PlNCHINa  FRUIT  TREES, 
On  pige  317,  April  20h,  M  e  Geo.  Picker  asks  a  pertin  nt  que.stio  r 
which  growers  will  do  well  to  carefully  consider,  though  perhaps  few 
will  entirely  agree  with  him.  The  practice  of  summer  punching  fruit 
trees  is  a  good  one  under  certain  circumstances,  but  I  feir  we  are  all 
too  much  inclined  to  carry  it  out  in  cases  when  there  is  really  no 
occasion  to  do  so. 
My  opinion  is  that  summer  pinching  was  first  practised  pirit  cipmlly 
with  the  object  of  obtaining  fruitful  wood  close  to  the  nrain  brancbe.s 
of  trained  trees,  rather  than  in  the  belief  that  the  wood  would  be 
brought  into  a  fruitful  condition  earlier  than  by  non-piinching.  In  the 
case  of  trained  trees  on  walls  or  espaliers  pinching  is  a  necessity', 
in  order  to  secure  a  well  shaped  tree  and  to  keep  the  spiurs  near  the 
main  branches,  but  when  such  trees  have  been  closely  punched  for 
years  improved  results  are  obtained  by  removing  alternate  branches 
and  laying  in  young  shoots  thinly  wherever  room  can  be  found  for 
them.  In  my  view  a  good  crop  of  fruit  is  of  far  more  consequence 
than  the  pncche  training  of  branches. 
Notv  let  us  turn  to  the  considi  ration  of  bush  and  piyramidal  trees. 
In  their  case  I  fail  to  see  the  slightest  necessity  for  punching,  beyond 
that  required  to  prevent  shoots  from  becoming  crowded,  or  checking 
the  vigour  of  a  “robber,”  except  in  the  case  of  a  cultivator  who 
desires  to  grow  as  many  varieties  as  possible  in  a  limited  spiace.  By 
the  aid  of  summer  pinching  and  root-pruning  this  object  is  best 
accomplished,  because  unstopipied  trees  require  more  room  than  closely 
punched  ones.  This  is  indeed  a  vital  point  in  connection  with  the 
matt'  r.  When  asked  for  infomiation  on  p' lining  generally,  the  advice 
I  invariably  give.  Allow  each  tree  plenty  of  space,  and  when  a 
sufficient  number  of  branches  have  been  secured  to  lay  the  foundation 
of  a  well  balanced  tree,  simpily  thin  the  shoots  in  summer  to  allow 
sun  and  air  to  act  upon  every  leaf. 
In  regard  to  the  point,  Will  piinching  p  roduco  fruit  buds  on  the 
current  year’s  growth  capable  of  producing  large,  healthy  flowers  ? 
I  say  yes,  in  some  instances,  but  only  in  case  of  varieties  which  make 
their  growth  early;  with  the  majority  of  Apples  and  Pears  two 
seasons  elapse  after  pinching  before  fruit  buds  are  formed. — 
H.  Dunkin. 
Mr.  Geo,  Picker  gives  the  Journal  readers  a  question  to  answer  on 
page  317,  bearing  on  the  influence  of  punching  of  the  summer  growth 
in  fruit  trees.  His  opinion  is  that,  to  satisfactorily  answer  the  question, 
a  dozen  Appile  or  Pear  trees  in  variety,  worked  on  the  same  kind  of 
stcck,  should  be  planted  wnth  their  roots  near  the  surface,  and  in 
ground  well  prepared.  This  course  would  prove  whether  pinching 
would  lenefit  the  sorts  under  treatment;  but  it  would  notsatislactoiily 
give  a  precedent  for  other  varieties,  because  it  has  been  proved  so  often 
that  varieties  differ  materially  in  their  fruit-bearing  characters,  A  tree 
of  a  shy  bearing  Appile  or  Pear  would  not  respond  to  any  apprccial  lo 
extent  to  the  influence  of  punching,  and  if  the  tree  happened  to  be  a 
viiorous  one,  pinching  would  result  in  lateral  growth  la'her  than  the 
formation  of  fruit  buds. 
Pit  ching  is  useful  in  the  case  of  trees  that  are  unequal  in  strength 
of  branch,  by  tempiorarily  diverting  the  sap  into  the  channels  of  those 
that  are  weaker.  Except  in  such  cases  I  do  not  think  any  material 
benefit  would  follow  the  general  adopition  of  pinching  of  the  summer 
growth  of  Pears  and  Apiples.  Vigorous  trees,  whether  young  or  elder 
established,  after  being  subject  to  years  of  hard  pruning,  will  often,  if 
the  lateral  growths  be  thinned  and  the  stronger  ones  left  unshortened, 
change  from  barren  into  fruitful  trees  in  a  surprisingly  short  space  of 
time.  This  I  do  not  think  would  follow  pinching. 
