A word about varieties in the first place. Up till six years ago we imagined Keen's Seedling could not be surpassed for forcing purposes. At that time our experience was confined principally to Midlothian. Since then it has lain in Yorkshire, and Keen's Seedling has proved to be truly the very worst kind we have tried, either for forcing or outdoor cropping. In 1865 we propagated 1000 plants of Keens for forcing from the stock we found here. They were prepared early, and made splendid plants, with crowns like one's thumb, broad massive leaves, and the pots almost bursting with roots. We anticipated nothing less than an extraordinary crop, but not more than thirty or forty plants showed flower, though forced gently under advantageous circumstances. It was such a disappointment as we should not like to experience again. Thinking that the stock from which they were derived was probably run out, we bought an entirely new lot of Keen's Seedling from a trustworthy source - Prince of Wales, Black Prince, Sir Harry, and other kinds, - planted them early in spring, and propagated plants from them for that season's forcing, being careful to have four or five varieties, including 200 Keens. The result was exactly the same.

Out of the above number about a dozen fruited; but the crops from Prince of Wales and Black Prince were all that could be desired. Since then we have stuck to these two sorts principally, and we have found no others that we have experimented with to approach them for sure bearing; not one in a hundred misses. We tried Keens under different conditions outdoors for three seasons, with no better results; and so we discarded it altogether, as we afterwards found others in this neighbourhood had done for the same reasons. Under these circumstances, we cannot advise any one on this point, but will leave them to be guided by their own experience, or the experience of others in the district in which they are located.

Earliness is everything in preparing Strawberries for forcing; and for this reason we layer our plants the moment we can get hold of the point beyond the first runner. Layering the runners in small pots, according to the common practice, is perfectly needless. Indeed, we are inclined to think it is a bad plan; at all events, it is a waste of time and material to no purpose whatever. We therefore just lay a flat ridge of sharp light soil between the Strawberry rows, and layer the runners on this, and water them frequently in dry weather, which causes them to root and grow quickly, and gives fine plants at potting-time, that soon fill the pots with roots. When ready for potting, they are taken up with a trowel. They come away with nice balls, and take to their shift just as readily as if they had been transferred from small pots, for we have tried them both ways, and side by side. Many err in using too largo pots for Strawberries. They should never be less than 4½-inch size, nor larger than 6-inch, according to the variety.

In potting, the soil should be made very firm about the plants, and particularly under them, which will prevent the roots from congregating chiefly among the crocks at the bottom of the pot.

The fruiting-time is the most interesting, and also the most important, stage in the culture of Strawberries in pots. A fine crop of fruit in March and April, and onwards, is an object worthy of any gardener's ambition, and covers other deficiencies. Some gardeners lay great stress upon having Strawberries very early - say in January or February - and will sacrifice both plants and crop to accomplish such a feat; but barring the fact that they are Strawberries, such early fruit are the most insipid morsels any one can eat, and require a powerful effort of the imagination, and a considerable quantity of sugar, to realise that you are eating Strawberries at all.

People must of course be guided by circumstances; but, as a general rule, it will be found more satisfactory, where Strawberries are forced in quantity, to bear two things in mind: the first is, never to send Strawberries to table till they are fit to eat; the second, never to send them till you can follow up with your reserves at least two or three times a-week, and as soon as possible every day. With these two ideas before us, we never attempt having ripe fruit till after the middle of March; and to insure a good and continuous pulling, we always introduce 300 plants into heat at a time. If they come in too fast, they can easily be kept back in a cool house, and with great advantage to the fruit. The practice of placing saucers under the pots to hold water is not to be commended. The water will stand in the saucers, and the Strawberry, not being an aquatic, will suffer; the roots rot, the soil in the pots gets sour and sodden, and complete failure is the result. To avoid these evils, we get our saucers made to order, with a small hole in the bottom of each like a flower-pot.

When we are about to introduce a lot of plants into heat, we first get the required number of saucers, lay a small crock over the hole in the bottom of each, fill them level full of good loam, set them upon the shelves in the Strawberry-house as close together as they will sit, and set the pots upon them. Even before the flower-scapes are up the roots will have taken possession of the soil to such an extent through the bottom of the pot, that the saucers will cling to them when the pots are lifted up. Any one may guess what a marvellous effect the fresh supply of soil has upon the berries and general health of the plants. As very little of the soil in the saucers is exposed to evaporation, it retains the moisture twice as long as the soil in the pots, and the plants seldom require to be watered more than once in the twenty-four hours, even in the driest weather. Black Prince swells off extraordinary crops with us under this treatment. The fruit is not much less in general than good-sized Keen's Seedling; in fact, we rely upon it for a fill-basket, adding a score or two of Prince of Wales as "toppers," as it swells to a large size.

Forcing should be commenced at a temperature of 45°, rising gradually to 60° or 65°, when the plants come into bloom, allowing it at times to run up 10° or 15° by sun heat. Every berry will set, even of the earliest batches, if the flowers are impregnated with a camel's-hair pencil, which well repays the trouble. Unformed berries, so often seen in forced Strawberries, are the result of imperfect fertilisation, and represent so much loss of fruit, sometimes a great deal. Unless every pip is fertilised, the fruit will be deformed more or less, just like a Pine-Apple in which some of the pips have missed setting. We once saw a whole house of Pines, which, in consequence of a check they had received at the blooming period, had missed setting generally about the middle of the fruit. They had an imbecile look about them that was altogether comic! The later batches of Strawberries set with less difficulty. An occasional good syringing with clean water during fine weather helps to insure a good "set." We practise this with Peaches also, and Muscat Grapes, with the best results. From the time a Strawberry plant is first potted until the last fruit is pulled it should never be allowed to flag for want of water.

J. Simpson.