Strawberries are occasionally forced in greenhouses to supply a small demand among the wealthy. The plants are usually grown in pots because they can be better controlled than in benches and because they may be sold for decorative purposes as well as for dessert. They are generally potted in early spring and the first runners from them rooted in small pots which when full of roots are discarded for large pots in which these plants are to bear fruit. The pots are then kept in deep beds of ashes, preferably under a cold frame in which great care is directed to watering, especially toward and during autumn when it is gradually withheld, the plants even being allowed almost to wilt, in order to shorten up their growth and to store reserve food. After freezing, the plants may be removed as desired to the green house, at first to low temperatures and later to higher ones in imitation of spring. In about eight weeks the fruit should be ready, but all through great care must be exercised in man agement, especially as to humidity of the air, ventilation, and pollination of the flowers, an operation that must be done by hand with a camel's hair brush, preferably.
Under the best management strawberries are seldom seriously injured by insects, al though a considerable number are partial to this plant. The larva of several root-feeding beetles are sometimes troublesome, if the grower plants his strawberries upon a freshly turned sod. But this may be obviated by two or perhaps even one intervening crop of pota toes or corn. There are also several beetles
which enjoy the blossoms, tender foliage or fruits, but since these travel slowly they may be avoided by selecting new ground each year. There are a few general feeding insects such as caterpillars, plant bugs, etc., which occasion ally vary their diet with strawberries, but they are rarely troublesome. Several so-called plant diseases have been reported as causing losses in plantations, but very frequently the cause may be readily traced to other sources, such as planting in unsuitable soil, or upon lowlying land, by insufficient vigor of plant, due to lack of plant food, etc., but especially to con tinued use of the land for this one crop. All the above may be avoided by proper rotation, the strawberry being allowed to occupy the land only one year or in exceptional cases two years, and the ground being thoroughly cleaned by cultivation and judicious rotation before straw berries are again planted upon it.
—Bailey, 'Cyclopedia of Amer ican Horticulture' (New York 1900-02) ; Bar nard, 'The Strawberry Garden' (Boston 1871) ; Farmer, 'Farmer on the Strawberry' (Pu laski, N. Y., 1891) ; Terry and Roet, 'How to Grow Strawberries' (Medina, Ohio, 1890) ; Fuller, 'Strawberry Culturist) (New York 1862, and later editions) ; Pardee, 'Manual of the Cultivation of the Strawberry' (New York 1854, and later editions) ; and numerous bulle tins of the Agricultural Experiment Stations.