20 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  5,  1900. 
Styrax  japonica, 
Several  varieties  of  the  officinal  Storax,  Styrax  officinalis,  have  been 
grown  in  gardens  for  many  years,  and  are  very  ornamental  where  they 
succeed,  generally  producing  their  white  tlowers  freely  against  walls  or 
in  warm  sheltered  positions.  The  Snowdrop  or  Silverbell  Tree,  Halesia 
tetraptera,  is  a  near  relative  of  these  plants,  and  the  species  Styrax 
japonica  (tig.  4)  is  as  much  entitled  to  the  two  former  names 
as  the  Halesia.  The  pure  white,  bell-shaped,  drooping  flowers  are  very 
suggestive  of  Snowdrops  both  in  size  and  substance,  and  have  a 
charming  appearance.  Plants  are  occasionally  exhibited  by  our  leading 
nurserymen,  and  are  a  source  of  considerable  attraction,  but  the  plants 
do  not  seem  to  attain  to  that  popularity  to  which  their  striking  beauty 
undoubtedly  entitles  them.  S.  obassia,  also  producing  an  abundance 
of  white  flowers,  is  extremely  handsome,  and  might  well  be  included 
amongst  the  flowering  shrubs  of  every  well  furnished  garden. — C. 
My  Garden. 
A  garden  is  a  lovesome  thing,  God  wot ! 
Rose  plot. 
Fringed  pool, 
Ferned  grot — 
The  veriest  school 
Of  peace  ;  and  yet  the  fool 
Contends  that  God  is  not — 
Not  God !  in  gardens !  when  the  eve  is  cool  ? 
Nay,  but  I  have  a  sign  ; 
’Tis  very  sure  God  walks  in  mine  ! 
T.  E.  Brown. 
Fig.  4. — Styrax  japonica. 
WOKK.foiitheWEEK.. 
Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Propagating  Strawberries. — The  earliest  plantlets  which  appear  on 
fruitful  Strawberry  beds  invariably  make  the  best  plants  wherewith  to 
form  new  plantations  or  to  place  in  pots  for  forcing.  Care  must  be 
taken  to  root  them  early  and  quickly,  so  that  they  receive  no  check. 
There  are  several  systems  of  effecting  this.  The  best  methods  for  early 
runners  consist  either  in  rooting  them  in  small  pots,  on  turves,  or  on 
mounds  of  soil. 
In  Small  Pots. —  A  sufficient  number  of  3-inch  pots  should  be 
prepared.  Di-ain  the  bottom  of  each  with  a  piece  of  fibrous  turf,  filling 
the  rest  of  the  space  with  a  mixture  of  loam  and  decayed  manure.  As 
a  protection  against  drving  up  quickly  plunge  the  pots  partially  in  the 
soil.  It  will  also  keep  them  firm  and  steady.  Plantlets  just  commencing 
to  put  forth  roots  are  the  best.  A  ready  way  of  securing  them  is  to 
hold  them  in  position  with  a  stone  or  secure  them  with  a  hooked  peg. 
Water  will  be  required  daily,  and  in  very  dry  weather  morning  and 
evening  will  not  be  too  often.  Immediately  they  are  rooted  detach  the 
runners  and  stand  the  pots  closely  together  on  a  hard  base  of  ashes, 
where  water  can  be  readily  applied.  This  position  must  be  an  open  one, 
so  that  the  growth  made  may  be  strong  and  sturdy.  If  placed  in  the 
shade  they  may  be  drawn  and  weakly. 
.  On  Turves. — Portions  of  freshly  cut  turf  about  3  inches  thick  and 
square  should  be  placed,  grass  side  downwards,  first  thoroughly 
saturating  them  with  water  or  liquid  manure.  The  plantlets  must  be 
secured  upon  them  in  the  same  way  as  on  pots,  either  with  a  stone  or 
hooked  peg.  All  that  is  required  is  to  keep  the  roots  close  to  the 
surface  until  they  take  hold.  Keeping  the  surface  constantly  moist 
will  effect  this  quickly.  There  is  no  necessity  to  move  the  turves  as 
soon  as  the  plantlets  are  established,  but  the  runner  wires  muit  be  cut. 
The  turves,  however,  ought  to  be  moved  as  soon  as  possible  if  the  appli¬ 
cation  of  water  to  them  is  inconvenient,  and  in  all  cases  before  roots 
pass  from  them  into  the  surrounding  soil. 
Rooting  in  the  Soil. — This  is  quite  practicable  on  the  outside  rows 
where  the  runners  are  less  crowded  than  in  the  inner  spaces  between 
rows.  They  will,  however,  root  in  the  latter  positions,  but  cannot  so 
easily  be  specially  treated  unless  a  rigid  process  of  thinning  is  adopted, 
which  would  in  the  end  prove  advantageous.  Select  the  best  runners, 
and  drawing  them  on  one  side  lay  down  some  mounds  of  soil  of  a 
rich  and  holding  character.  On  these  fasten  the  most  promising 
plantlets,  and  maintain  the  soil  uniformly  moist  until  they  are  rooted. 
Having  secured  a  liberal  quantity  of  runners  for  propagating  purposes 
the  rest  ought  to  be  cut  away,  thus  leaving  plenty  of  space  for  those 
retained,  rendering  attention  to  them  easy,  and  admitting  abundance  of 
light  and  air.  When  stock  is  not  specially  required  early,  necessitating 
the  adoption  of  some  of  the  foregoing  methods,  it  is  an  excellent  plan 
to  keep  the  runners  well  thinned  out  from  the  first,  and  allow  them  to 
root  in  the  soil  as  they  like.  Giod  plants  will  be  secured  for  midseason 
planting.  Lift  them  as  wanted  with  good  balls  of  soil  and  roots,  and 
plant  at  once  in  a  well  prepared  plot  of  ground. 
Watering  Wall  Trees. — Although  copious  rains  have  fallen  and 
benefited  fruit  trees  in  the  open,  the  same  assistance  may  not  have 
been  received  by  all  wall  trees,  hence  it  is  desirable  that  a  copious 
supply  of  water  should  be  afforded  the  roots,  especially  of  those  trees 
which  may  be  bearing  a  heavy  crop  of  fruit.  Lightly  fork  over  the  soil 
previously,  so  as  to  present  a  loose  surface  for  the  admission  of  water. 
After  a  liberal  supply  lay  down  a  mulching  of  manure.  This  will 
prevent  evaporation,  and  before  the  soil  again  dries  apply  a  good 
soaking  of  liquid  manure,  or  failing  that  sprinklings  of  artificial 
manure,  4  ozs.  to  the  square  yard,  washed  in,  forms  a  good  substitute. 
Apricots,  Feaclies,  and  Nectarines — The  fru't  should  be  finally 
thinned  to  a  safe  number  for  the  trees  to  carry.  Trees  in  a  strong  and 
vigorous  condition,  which  are  making  wood  freely,  may  have  more 
fruits  left  upon  them  than  comparatively  weakly  trees.  The  fruit  has 
a  tendency  to  subdue  extraordinary  vigour  because  of  the  large 
demands  the  developing  and  perfecting  of  a  crop  necessitates.  In 
order  to  give  further  assistance  to  trees  in  fruit  development,  a 
continuons  system  of  regulating  growth  throughout  the  season  must 
be  adopted.  A  selection  should  be  made  of  suitable  growths  issuing 
from  the  base  of  the  present  bearing  shoots  to  lay  in  for  the  future. 
These  being  secured  the  rest  of  the  shoots  are  more  or  less  superfiuous, 
and  the  majority  should  be  gradually  removed.  Some  of  the  best 
placed  foreright  shoots  might  be  shortened  to  four  leaves  to  be  eventually 
out  back  for  forming  spurs. 
Apricots  lend  themselves  to  this  system  more  easily  than  Peaches, 
and  they  also  form  natural  spurs,  which  of  course  are  to  be  preferred 
to  any  artificially  produced.  The  jsummer  growths  reserved  must  be 
carefully  nailed  in  to  the  wall.  This  will  admit  of  abundant  air 
