STRAWBERRIES 189 



Hundreds of varieties of Strawberries are now known. 

 New ones are being introduced and old ones discarded 

 every year. To a large extent successful varieties are 

 local; they may thrive in one region and be of little value 

 in another. So the safest way is to select for the 

 main planting those sorts that do best in the 

 neighborhood. 



Flower Structure 



In order to succeed in strawberry culture it is impor- 

 tant to know that the flowers of many varieties possess 

 few or no stamens while others possess an abundance 

 of them. This condition is illustrated in the picture 

 on page 186: on the left the stamen-bearing or perfect or 

 stamina te blossom is represented; on the right the 

 pistil-bearing or imperfect or pistillate blossom is repre- 

 sented. It should be noted, however, that the so-called 

 staminate flower possesses an abundance of pistils as 

 well as stamens; so it is better to call it a perfect 

 flower. 



We know that the pistils of flowers must be fertihzed 

 by pollen if seeds and fruits are to develop. So it is 

 evident that an acre of strawberries of a variety having 

 only pistillate blossoms would be likely to yield very 

 Uttle fruit, although an acre of a variety having perfect 

 flowers might set fruit in abundance. By mixing the 

 two types of varieties, however, we can get good results 

 because the small bees which visit the flowers so freely 

 will carry the pollen to practically all the blossoms and 

 thus help us in the useful work of poUenizing both kinds 

 of flowers. So experienced growers always plant rows 

 of staminate sorts along with pistillate varieties. 



