THE CINCINNATUS. 



Ml. ■ JUNE 1, 1856. No. 6, 



For the Cincinnatus. 



t^jegelabb gtprobiitlion — denial Cbaractmsllcs of ^(ants. 



BY G. M. KERN. 



The revelation of a famous strawberry secret (as it was considered,) 

 has wrought an important and fortunate change in the culture of this 

 fruit, so universally a favorite. So thoroughly is the doctrine of the 

 male and female characteristics of the strawberry plant now understood, 

 that it has become an article of faith in the creed of every amateur 

 horticulturist and gardener, and is accepted as most orthodox by all 

 intelligent readers of even an agricultural newspaper ; and so great seems 

 to be the value and importance now attached to this discovery in the 

 modus of vegetable reproduction, that distinguished men are found 

 arrayed into parties, and each party contending for the palm of honor 

 for having first discovered and revealed the demiurgic truth to an unbe- 

 lieving world ; so, that with the Eoman poet, we may say, 

 '* Inter utrosque volat dubiis pennis victoria." 



We are told that Mr. Longworth's endeavors to spread abroad a gen- 

 eral knowledge of the sexual characteristics of the strawberry plant 

 have profited mankind to the extent of many millions of dollars, and we 

 are justly filled with amazement on learning the immense number of 

 bushels of strawberries raised hereabouts, and sold in the markets of our 

 Queen City, under the encouragement of this new dispensation. But it 

 seems that while our joyous paeans of triumph are echoing through the 

 AVest, some princely eastern brother sends in his strawberry catalogue, 

 which comes like a bombshell in our midst, creating no small consterna- 

 tion among our horticultural savans. Our boasting glory and cherished 

 VOL, I., NO. VI. — 17. (257) 



