EDITOR'S TABLE. 



of his own seedlings. I noticed qnite a number of promising seedlings, some of -wbich exliiLited 

 a Tery handsome show of fruit, and several of his favorites were of fine flavor, size, color, and 

 production, but they were pretty uniformly in such compact little masses — as most nurserymen's 

 beds usually are — and some of them so shaded by trees and shrubbery, that an intelligent opinion 

 could scarcely be inclined to in regard to them. I hope Mr. P., or some one, will give them a 

 fairer test, with more room, light, and air, for two or three kinds certainly looked very well, con« 

 sidering the disadvantages under which they labored ; for until this is done, I cannot see as it can 

 be determined whether any of these seedlings are of equal or superior merit to other standard 

 kinds we have already established. Some fruit will bear better in compact masses than others, 

 and not so well as superior fruit under better and similar circumstance. I thought decidedly the 

 best looking bed of strawberries on the grounds was McAv<y}/s Superior, with the largest fruit on 

 it, and I saw them in two or three different exposures. 



Dr. A- G. Hull has about thirty acres of land at jSTewburgh, adjoining on the west the residence 

 of the late lamented Downing, on which Dr. Hull is exhibiting a profuse expenditure of money 

 and taste. The situation is certainly one of the most commanding on the Hudson, and it is aston- 

 ishing to see with what rapidity lie is bringing it towards perfection. I saw many things there, 

 as well as at Mr. Prince's, I would be glad to speak of, but my object is mainly to refer to the 

 strawberry. Dr. Hull cultivates the strawberry largely and well. His rows, I should judge, 

 were full three feet apart, and the plants were nearly one foot apart in the rows, well mulched 

 with tan bark. 



On almost the first bed I came to, I saw what I had so long desired to see — the British Queen, 

 in all her glory. The earliest fruit was just ripening, and the flavor, on comparing with other 

 fine kinds, was truly delicious. I carefully examined also its bearing qualities, and should think 

 any one would pronounce them very satisfactory. The large bed bore quite uniformly and very 

 well — that is to be specific. I noticed the strong plants usually had from six to eight stalks on 

 each plants with five to eight large berries on each ; and I noticed the quarter part of the 

 blossom-buds perfected fruit. So much has been said about the impossibility of raising a fair 

 crop of this fine fruit in this country, that I was carefully guarded at all points in my examina- 

 tion, and have no hesitation in pronouncing it a fair crop. The ground was high, rather hard, dry, 

 and gravelly, and I should judge had no superior cultivation, except an intelligent a thorough 

 preparation of the bed in the first place, with a rather too thin mulching of tan bark afterwards. 

 And here I must acknowledge that for ten years I have endeavored to obtain the triie British 

 Queen strawberry, and have a number of times had no doubt for a time I really had it ; yet I 

 must confess in all the exhibitions I have attended, and gi'ounds visited, I have never before seen 

 the true British Queen in bearing. (1.) I took some of the fruit to Geneva and submitted them 

 to the test of an Englishman perfectly familliar with it, and who has the same growing in his 

 garden on some plants brought over by himself, and he pronounces them genuine. The varieties 

 ordinarily cultivated in this county for the British Queen have no relation to it. I do not think 

 the Queen a good variety for an ordinary cultivator to do much with, but still worthy the 

 attention of amateurs. The fruit more nearly resembles in appearance the Alice Maud, but 

 shorter and different shape, with higher flavor, of course. I was also pleased to examine at this 

 place almost all of Mtatt's varieties in good cultivation, and although MyatCs Eliza was eurpris^ 

 ing Dr. Hltjl by its unexpected respectable appearance, yet I think he will soon discard all 

 Myatt's but the British Queen. Burr's New Pine was sustaining itself nobly on these grounds, while 

 Black Prince, with an occasional exception, exhibited the same insipid flavor so common m TVeBtern 

 New York. As in Mr. Princje's grounds, so in Dr. Hull's, McAvoy's Superior bore off the palra, 

 completely throwing Hovky's and other similar varieties in the shade as to size, flavor, and pro- 

 ductiveness, while LongwortKs Prolific followed closely in the wake. Dr. Hull had several large 

 beds of each, with plenty of room, and afforded them a much fairer test than Mr. Pbince. 

 Kitlcy, Goliah, Schiller, in Dr. Hull's grounds, and a number of varieties at Mr. Princk's, had 



