278 PLAIN AND PLEASANT TALK 



when lie says, &quot; IF Mr. Longwortfcs theory should prove 

 true,&quot; etc. We, among others, waited anxiously for the 

 promised experiments ; but if published we never saw them. 

 The subject rather died out of his magazine until August, 

 1845, when, in speaking of the Boston Pine, a second fine 

 seedling of his own raising, he is seen bearing away on the 

 other tack, if not with all sails set, yet with enough to give 

 the ship headway in the right direction : &quot; Let the causes 

 be what they may, it is sufficient for all practical purposes, 

 to know, that the most abundant crops (italics ours) can be 

 produced by planting some sort abounding in staminate 

 flowers, in the near vicinity of those which do not possess 

 them.&quot; P. 293. And on p. 444 he reiterates the advice to 

 plant near the staminate varieties. In the August number 

 for 1846, p. 309, Mr. Hovey shows himself a thorough con 

 vert to Mr. Longworth s views, by indorsing, in the main, 

 the report of the committee of the Cincinnati Horticultural 

 Society. We hope after so various a voyage, touching at so 

 many points, that he will now abide steadfast in the truth. 

 We look upon this as a very grave matter, not because 

 the strawberry question is of such paramount, although it is 

 of no inconsiderable importance ; but it is of importance 

 whether accredited scientific magazines should be trust 

 worthy ; whether writers or popular editors should be 

 responsible for mistakes entirely unnecessary. We blame 

 no man for vacillation, while yet in the process of investi 

 gation, nor for coming at the truth gradually, since this is 

 the necessity of our condition to learn only by degrees, and 

 by painful siftings. The very first requisite for a writer is, 

 that he be worthy of trust in his statements. No man can 

 be trusted who ventures opinions upon uninvestigated mat 

 ters; who states facts with assurance which he has not 

 really ascertained; who evinces rashness, haste, careless 

 ness, credulity, or fickleness in bis judgments. The ques 

 tion of perfect or imperfect blossoms depends upon the sim 

 plest exercise of eyesight. It requires no measurements, 



