228 Strawberry Report^ read before Cincinnati Hort. Soc. 



ciiinati friends do not understand the cultivation of the straw- 

 berry, or else they have not the true sorts cultivated under the 

 same names at the East. 



The views of the committee, as given in the last postulate, 

 are correct, and they substantiate what we have repeatedly 

 asserted since the completion of our own experiments. 



Forty varieties are named as having passed under the ex- 

 amination of the committee, and the results of their observa- 

 tions are given of each. They are divided into two classes, 

 STAMiNATEs and pisTiLLATEs. Thc average result of the former 

 is as we have given above. 



Passing over all the descriptions and other matter, we at 

 once come to the portions of the report, which to us are more 

 important than the discussion of the simple question of stamens 

 and pistils. 



Among the staminate varieties enumerated stands the fol- 

 lowing : — 



Boston Pine (Mr. Hovey's Perfect) has 23 to 24 stamens ; 

 is hardy, and a great bloomer ; sets i^oV^s of its blossoms; 

 perfect in less than xV^ths of its fruit, and xl^yths of its 

 flowers. 



What confidence will any cultivator place in a report em- 

 anating from a Horticultural Society which commits such a 

 manifest blunder as the above? Who raised "Mr. Hovey's 

 Perfect," as the committee style it 7 Did any one of them 

 ever see such a variety noticed in our pages — or described by 

 us ? No. If such a report can be of any value it must be 

 correct in the names. To make a statement of the produce 

 of a plant without knowing whether it is the genuine variety 

 or not, argues a want of information on the very subject un- 

 der discussion. 



Hovey's Perfect is a misnomer, originated, we believe, in 

 Philadelphia, and we are astonished that the committee, with 

 Mr. Ernst at its head, should have made such an error. 



Had the genuine variety passed under the notice of the 

 committee, we could then have questioned the accuracy of 

 their statement as regards the Boston Pine ; but, as it did not, 

 we will only name one peculiarity of this variety, which will 

 show that the committee are not quite aufait upon the straw- 

 berry culture yet. 



