FRUIT CULTURE. 



815 



red. Besides being very productive, the plants are vigorous, hardy, and easily cultivated. 

 Other fine varieties are the WINDSOR CHIEF, a productive variety resembling the CHAMPION; the 

 KENTUCKY, a valuable kind, producing fruit after many varieties have ceased bearing MINER S 

 GREAT PROLIFIC, BOYDEN, JUCUNDA, Gov. JEWELL (seedling), a new variety of great promise, etc. 



Hermaphrodite and Pistillate Plants. Strawberries are divided into classes, 

 characterized by their blossoms. The first is called staminate (or male) because the stamens 

 are chiefly developed ; the second hermaphrodite (or perfect), on account of their having both 

 stamens and pistils developed; the third pistillate (or female), from the pistils being prin 

 cipally developed. A plant producing only male flowers cannot bear fruit, and is rarely 

 found among cultivated varieties. 



The hermaphrodites may be easily distinguished from the pistillate varieties at the time 

 of blossoming, by the long yellow anthers that protrude from among the pistils, these being 

 very abundant and bearing a fine dust or pollen. In the pistillate or imperfect blossomed 

 varieties, only the cluster of pistils is visible in the blossoms, the pistils being closely packed 

 together, and resembling a very minute green strawberry. The hermaphrodite varieties, 

 having perfect blossoms, produce full crops without being fertilized by the pollen from other 



LONGFELLOW. 



ESSEX BEAUTY. 



WARREN. 



varieties; but the pistillate varieties (some which are very productive), in order to bear well, 

 require a bed, or one or two rows of hermaphrodites to be planted within from fifteen to 

 thirty feet of them, so that the pollen from the blossoms of the latter will fertilize those of 

 the former. Varieties blossoming about the same time should be selected to fertilize each 

 other. The hermaphrodite varieties are generally preferred by planters, since they require 

 no care of this kind. As many of our best varieties belong to the pistillate class, however, as 

 of the hermaphrodite. 



Propagation and Soil. The strawberry plant is easily and rapidly propagated by 

 means of the runners, which are used for forming a new plantation or bed. New varieties 

 may be produced by planting the seed, or by hybridizing the same as with all other plants. 

 A deep, rich, moist loam is the best soil for strawberries, although they will grow on almost 

 any soil that is not too wet. Vast quantities of this fruit are produced on light sandy soils, 

 although on the former they attain their greatest perfection. When lands intended for culti 

 vating this fruit are too wet, they should first be well underdrained. AVhere the soil is light 

 or thin, the ground should be deeply trenched and manured before putting in the plants. In 



