108 THE STRAWBERRY IN NORTH AMERICA 



preach the worthlessness of hermaphrodites thereafter. 

 By 1855 the use of hermaphrodite varieties for pollinat- 

 ing pistillate sorts was quite general, and true male 

 plants gradually disappeared. The introduction of the 

 Wilson, three years later, placed in the field another 

 variety that quickly and permanently disproved the 

 theory that no hermaphrodite sort can be as productive 

 as pistillates. 



The "strawberry war" was waged on three proposi- 

 tions : 



1. Are there pistillate varieties that must be planted 

 near pollen-bearing sorts in order to be fruitful? 



2. Can the sex of a variety be changed from stami- 

 nate to pistillate by culture? 



3. Are pistillate varieties more productive and val- 

 uable than staminate sorts ? 



The first proposition was answered in the affirmative; 

 the latter two in the negative. Nicholas Longworth 

 died on February 14, 1863. He won his fight, almost 

 single-handed, against practically all the horticultural 

 authorities of the East, and contributed largely to the 

 advancement of the strawberry industry in North America. 



