Mr. Thos. Foulds, Hoyt, Montgomery Co., Pa., writes: "Will any of your correspondents give their experience on strawberry culture under glass ?"

"This query was asked in one of the previous numbers of the Monthly, and I for one feel very much interested on the subject and would like to hear from others. No doubt there are those who have been successful. I have been only partially so; possibly improper facilities have retarded my success, the selection of variety, or the proper treatment has been wanting to develop and ripen the fruit satisfactorily.

" 'To err is human;' But ignorance is not bliss.

"This is my experience and the result: Last spring two hundred good strong runners of the Sharpless variety were potted into two and a half-inch pots and plunged in open frames; about the middle of July they had filled the pots with roots, and were shifted into four-inch. In November they were placed on a bench in the greenhouse three feet from the glass. January they began to blossom and, - here lies the rub. I supposed it necessary to fertilize, and in the absence of bees I substituted them by using every morning a portion of a leaf or stem which is covered on the underside with hairy filaments and distributed the pollen in that way. This I continued until fruit began to set and I thought my achievement complete. But let me ask, how was it that those flowers which opened after I ceased my fertilizing, set their fruit also?

" By the middle of February a few had swollen to charming proportions, their modest blush had begun to glow and invite a luscious repast. But, alas! The fairest were seized with mildew and the disease was most disastrous. I attributed that to the dark, dull days of February, and when the bright days did come, another calamity - which never comes singly - they were seized by red spider, then thrown out in disgust to freeze.

" The result was about two boxes of fair sized, ripe berries, green ones in abundance, which never ripened, or became diseased. Yet, I have not lost hope, but will try again. Would be pleased to hear from some one interested".

In answer to Mr. Thomas Fould's query upon the above subject, permit me to relate a few practical hints, which after many years' experience I have found productive of good results. In the cultivation of strawberries under glass it is of primary importance to obtain good runners of some standard variety. My own plan has been to plant a row by itself by the side of a walk or some convenient place; by this means stouter runners are obtained, and they are easier got at for the purpose of layering and watering. As soon as the runners can be handled they should be layered into 2½-inch pots, filled to within half an inch of the top, with rich mellow loam. The pots should be plunged to the rim, the runners laid in the centre and fastened there by a small twig of willow bent, or by laying a small stone upon the runner. They should be carefully attended to with water, and all surplus runners removed as they appear As soon as they have well filled their pots with roots they should be severed from the parent plant, and removed to some shaded corner.

In about a week they will be ready to be potted into their fruiting pots - 4½ or 5-inch pots will be large enough for those intended for very early forcing, giving the rest 6-inch pots.

The compost which I have found most suitable is three parts rough fibry loam to one of well rotted manure, with a sprinkling of crushed bones. The compost should on no account be in a wet condition; if it will stick together when lifted in the hand and pressed, it is too wet, and used in such a state will get into that "baked " condition so antagonistic to the well-being of any plant. The pots should be well drained, and they should be potted firmly. Stand them close together for a week or so in some shaded position, carefully watering until they take hold of the new soil, and syringed every evening. They should afterwards be plunged in ashes or some such material in an open position, and never allowed to get dry, syringing them every evening to keep down red spider, applying the syringe well to the under side of the leaves, for this is where the enemy begins. When they have well filled their pots with roots, they should be watered with weak manure water two or three times a week, made either from cow manure or guano, and used about the color of strong tea. If all has gone well by October the balls will be a complete mass of roots, and that is the condition in which to get them if success is looked for.

It is advisable now, if possible, to get them into cold frames, where they can be protected from heavy rains and frost, and introduced into the forcing house as required.

With their introduction into the forcing house begins the need of knowledge and carefulness on the part of the cultivator. Certain principles must be understood, for unless they are, success is uncertain and failure probable. Forcing must be conducted slowly until the fruit is set, and especially so when the flower buds are opening. The young flower buds by degrees take on the form of calyx, corolla, stamens and pistil. They form successively in the order named. The calyx and corolla grow the quickest and most easily bear to be hastened. Stamens require more time for growth, the pistil most of all. They must all be fully developed to insure a set of handsome fruit. A steady temperature of from 500 to 550, with a position well up to the glass and plenty of air on all favorable occasions, is found best suited to gain this end. When in bloom, if plenty of air is admitted and all other conditions satisfactory, there need be no recourse to fertilizing, except a gentle shake of the blossoms for the early batch. On the early batch from six to eight berries will be sufficient, and from twelve to fifteen on the late ones. As soon as this quantity can be obtained of good shaped fruit, all others should be removed.

The temperature can now be increased until it reaches 650. Copious supplies of liquid manure should be given and the syringe well applied to the under side of the foliage. When the fruit begins to color, no more liquid manure should be given, but if a bracing atmosphere is kept up, the syringe can still be kept going, and never once allow them to get dry at the roots. Mount Green, Petersburg, Va.

On page 178 of Gardeners' Monthly for June. 1885, Mr. Thomas Foulds, Hoyt, Montgomery County, Pa., desires to know how to care for, and mature strawberries under glass. It is easy, with the necessary means, to have strawberries ripe all the year round. Of course, it is unnecessary to apply any artificial means to procure strawberries ripe in Pennsylvania, when her climate brings them forth in all their fine qualities. In Europe, as well as America, I have grown them successfully in the following way. I planted in boxes 6 in. by 4 ft., 6 in. deep, using two-year-old plants, always keeping them dormant on an average of six months in the year. This I did by the use of ice, using generally the ice-house in summer, when the ripe fruit is needed. About sixteen weeks previous the boxes may be brought out from their resting-place and introduced to 500 of heat, kept naturally moist, and when leaves appear, the boxes should be kept near the glass; not more than 18 in. off. This would be a proper distance to keep the plants at all times through their growing, fruiting and ripening seasons. The heat, after the leaves appear, should be increased gradually until the last or ripening season, when 650 would produce rich, nice-colored and well developed berries.

When dormant the boxes should be watched so as to retain the clay in as natural state as if the crowns were frozen out-doors; the moisture of the clay the same, but still avoiding all the watering possible while the clay is frozen. No one will suffer any inconvenience by red spider on their plants who will keep a proper moisture in the house they grow strawberries in.

When the crop is gathered the boxes should be removed to some proper place to gain strength for another season of bearing. If they are done bearing, in winter they should be removed to a cool house. If in any of the summer months, to some open ground, of course. By strictly following the forcing process, any one can have ripe strawberries any day on their table, who has the glass to grow and fruit them under. I need not say to any experienced person bring to your house, a house full at once of plants. Any one should use judgment just as a lady who grows hyacinths would do; pot every week to keep up a constant succession of bloom in winter - so in strawberry fruiting. As a dozen of boxes are done fruiting, add to the house a dozen of frozen boxes. With a small glass capacity, the boxes can be kept out-doors until November and then put in a cellar or shed and removed under glass as above described. The same idea or use will grow asparagus and rhubarb. Of course, they must be kept farther from the glass. The shorter time allowed for the strawberry in foliage, the better and larger the berries and better flavored.

Youngstown, O., June 22d, 1885.

[The last sentence in this excellent paper reminds one of the discussions a quarter of a century ago or more, as to the advantages of mowing off the leaves of strawberries. It used to be the fashion to grow the strawberry in three-feet beds, and the good old gardener, who had only the severe lessons of experience to go by, used to mow off with a scythe the leaves of the plant as soon as the fruit was gathered. He knew from actual experience that it resulted in a larger crop next year than if the leaves were left on as long as possible.

But there came along the man with his lessons from Vegetable Physiology. He knew that leaves were the lungs of the plant, and " cut off the plants' lungs," how absurd! The hard-headed gardener could not reply. He could only point to his full baskets of berries, and stand speechless. And so it came about that the pen was mightier than the scythe, and the man who would dare to say " mow strawberries " in these days would have the average Editor laugh at him. - Ed. G. M].

Mr. M. J. Nagel. Jefferson City, Mo., writes: " I see the question in June number of the Gardeners' Monthly has not been answered, in regard to forcing strawberries. I forced strawberries for many years with good success. I forced strawberries in a hot-bed frame with one steam pipe running through. I put the plants as near to the glass as possible, say 9 inches at the lower end and 12 inches at the upper end of the hot-bed frames. Let them have as much fresh air as possible without freezing them; and for the sun in February l had matting made of pine sticks ½ inch by 6 feet long and ¾ of an inch apart. This I used every bright day till the plants had been hardened to the sun. I sprinkled twice every day to prevent the red spider, and had two plants in 5-inch pots".