HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. 343 



strawberries (Fragaria). 



The plat from which the following notes are made was planted in the 

 spring of 1888, and having supplied plants for the sales of last spring, some 

 varieties had been dug very closely, leaving in some cases little beyond the 

 old plants; while others had been left comparatively full — all being in 

 matted rows. A comparison as to productiveness, by measuring the yield of 

 each, was therefore impracticable. Such comparative yield has therefore 

 been estimated, using for the purpose a scale ranging from one to ten. The 

 same scale is also used to express the comparative vigor of varieties, hardiness 

 of the plant, under the influences of the past year, together with the size, 

 quality and firmness of texture of the fruit. 



During the past season a new plat has been planted with reference to the 

 repetition of these observations under more satisfactory conditions. This 

 new plantation is especially arranged for convenience in referring to and 

 comparing varieties, and the rows have been kept evenly filled, and the 

 plants replaced where vacancies have occurred. Many of the newer or 

 recently introduced varieties have also been included. 



In the following descriptions, the letter B following the name of a variety 

 indicates that it is bi-sexual or perfect flowering ; P, that it is pistillate, or 

 practically without pollen producing organs. B P is attached to a few 

 varieties whose blossoms show so few anthers that their sufficiency for per- 

 fect fertilization may be considered doubtful. B P is also attached to cer- 

 tain varieties in which there is a still greater deficiency of anthers, and 

 which, to insure complete fertilization, should be planted near a pollen sup- 

 plying variety. 



In the following tabulation the descriptions are extended across two 

 opposite pages, and numbers are used to avoid difficulty in tracing the con- 

 nection. * 



The form and color of the fruit are given by use of the following abbre- 

 viations: 



Form. Color. 



b. Broad or compressed. b. Bright. 



c. Conical. c. Crimson. 



d. Depressed or oblate. d. Dark. 

 i. Irregular. 1. Light. 

 1. Long. r. Red. 



o. Oval or ovate. s. Scarlet. 



r. Roundish. 



The extent to which the plant is attacked by fungi is indicated as follows: 



a. Clear. 



b. Slightly spotted by Splicer ella fragarice, Sacc. 



c. Much spotted " " 



d. Very badly spotted " " 



e. General discoloration, perhaps from over-maturity. 



The dates of origination are in most cases to be considered as merely ap- 

 proximate, many of them having been inferred from the dates of introduc- 

 tion, or from mere recollection of our first acquaintance with the variety. 



