DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



101 



New- Haven County Horticultural Society. 

 This society holds an annual exhibition of fruits, 

 flowers and vcgetiibles, at New-Haven, on the 26th. 

 27th and 2Sth days of September next. The list 

 of premiums is large, and calculated to bring out 

 an extensive display. The Annual Fair of the 

 Agricultural Society of the same county, is this 

 year united with that of the Horticultural Society. 



Albany and Rensselaer Hort. Society. — 

 We have received the Report of the July exhibi- 

 tion of this Society, which was held at the Court- 

 house in Troy, on the 12th, which we are compel- 

 led to omit for want of room. " The show," 

 says the Secretary, " was in all respects, such as 

 to satisfy the friends of the Society ; and its offi- 

 cers are encouraged in their efforts by the spirit 

 which is manifested, and the continued evidence of 

 the growing taste among exhibitors in the vari- 

 ous departments." 



Bugs on Vines. — Having been much annoyed 

 the present as well as the past seasons by the ope- 

 ration of the striped and other bugs upon squashes, 

 cucumbers, melons, &c., I mention a fact that has 

 come under my observation for the benefit of those 

 who will take the trouble to make the experiment. 

 About the hills contaming the seeds, at the time of 

 planting, were set 8 or 10 onions. These grew 

 with the growth of the plants. The plants arc now 

 vigorous and fair, and have not been disturbed by 

 any insect. This was the purpose for which the 

 onions were set out. and the effect, the present sea- 

 son, has been as described. The onions are in con- 

 dition to produce seed without lirejudice to the 

 other crop. Possibly the experiment may be 

 worthy the attentioii of those who would avoid the 

 trouble of planting tlieir seeds several times over. 

 H. Danvers, July 1, 1848. (Boston Cultivator.) 



The Strawberry Question again. — In the 

 July No. of your interesting periodical, pages 19 

 and 49, I find communications from your corres- 

 pondents, '' Senex," and Mr. G. W. Huntsman, 

 on the "still vexed" strawberry question. Both 

 gentlemen have done me the honor to notice my 

 " Remarks on Strawberries," page 493, in the May 

 No- of your last volume. Senex is sorry that his 

 remarks on the question, " Is -fertilization neces- 

 sary ?" page 172, in October No., " have been mis- 

 understood," and Mr. Huntsman has charged me 

 with an " attempt" to set the strawberry question 

 " at rest," to which charge I demur. I very much 

 regret having misunderstood " Senex." In his ar- 

 ticle above mentioned, as to the necessity of ferti- 

 lization, he asserted it to be " sheer nonsense" to 

 say that either species or varieties of Fragaria 

 were in any sense dioecious, and that in the order 

 Rosacea, " there is not a dioecious plant." I enter- 

 tain a different opinion, believing in the dicocious 

 character of some species and many varieties of the 

 strawberry; and also, that there is a dioecious plant 

 in the order Rosaceae. the very Cliffortia singled 

 out by Senex. That I 7nay be mistaken, " is con- 

 ceding no more than is incident to the fallibility of 

 all human speculations." The strawberry in its 



dicocious character may be " anomalous," as Mr. 

 Huntsman terms it, and the discussion of the ques- 

 tion has certainly become so. Confusion has got 

 to be confounded, and may be worse ere a proper 

 understanding is had upon the subject. 



Dr. Lindley's authority is good ; but I do not 

 think it better than that of other botanists. His 

 writings abundantly prove hi in to be as theoretical 

 as the most ardent enthusiast could desire. I am 

 aware that he does not use the word diceciotts 

 when speaking of the old Hautbois strawberry : 

 but what of that ? By George Don, no mean au- 

 thority, some varieties of the strawberry are said 

 to be always dicccious : why ? Because of imper- 

 fect development of the inflorescence. I believe in 

 the term as applied to Fragaria just so far and no 

 farther. I regard the old Hautbois strawberry as 

 dioecious, '' in a strict sence," because the male 

 flowers are borne on one root, the female on ano 

 ther ; yet I contend not that it is rigidly so, as Se- 

 nex desires me to undertand his definitions for the 

 rudiments ot stamens or pistils are always present 

 in every flower. 



Senex has stated unequivocally, " that there 

 is not a dioecious plant in the order Rosacea." 

 In " Paxton's Botanical Dictionary." Cliffortiaii^ 

 placed in that order, and Dr. Lindley assisted in 

 preparing the work for the press. In the " iVo- 

 menclator Botanicus," of Steudel, Cliffortia is thus 

 referred to ; 2d ed., p. 385: Cliffortia, Lin. Spr. 

 1977.Dec.II.595. "Morilandia Neck. Fam. Dry- 

 adcEE. S;)ac/i.— Fructifloras, jRoy/c— Passerinea-, 

 jly^l_ — Rosacetc, Adanson, Jusyieu. — Sanguisor- 

 bea-, Sprcngel. — Kosaccic, ClifforticcE, Reichen- 

 baeh, Tricoccaj, Lin." Dr. Lindley has but copied 

 t-prengel if he has recently placed Cliffortiain 

 Sanguisorbea;, and this latter order only dillers 

 from Rosacetc in the apetalous flowers, and definite 

 stamens, alternating with the segments of the 

 calvx. In the genera Sanguisorba, the flowers are 

 hermaphrodite; in Poterium, they are polygamous, 

 and in Cliffortia, dioecious. Besides, in Sanguisor- 

 bea;, the flowers are usually unisexval from abor- 

 tion. 



But Sniex may desire me to be more specinc and 

 to name one or "two dicecious plants in the order 

 Rosacecc. I do so with pleasure, and point out to 

 him the Rubus austraiis, and Rubus chamamorus, 

 the first a native of New-Zealand, the second of 

 Europe, Siberia, and North America. The R. 

 chamasmorus, (the mountain bramble,) is a valua- 

 ble plant for crossing with the raspberry. The 

 fruit is large, of a dull orange color, acid, muci- 

 laginous, and agreeable to the taste. 



In my" Remarks on Strawberries," in your May 

 No., I had no thought of setting the (strawberry) 

 "question at rest," though Mr. Huntsman has 

 said that I made the attempt to do so. Like him 

 self, 1 claim to express opinions, and to state (acts 

 when I know them to be facts. This question of 

 the dicecious character of the strawberry, has been 

 prolific in bringing out opinions, facts, and conclu- 

 sions, and withal a few contradictions; mistakes, 

 as they may be termed. The lour " propositions" 

 of Mr. Huntsman, " being universally true," does 

 not make it a " mistake" to say that the dicecious 

 character of the strawberry is the result of acci- 



