234 STRAWBERRY. 



asunder. In its wild state, the strawberry blossom is perfect ; 

 but culture has altered the habits of most of the varieties, 

 though the European Wood and Alpine Strawberries still, un- 

 der every cultivation, retain their primitive habits, giving from 

 every blossom perfect fruit. Barren plants are those which 

 have flowers in an imperfect state, deficient either in stamens 

 or pistils ; imperfectly provided with pistils, they are styled 

 male plants ; deficient in stamens, female plants. But the 

 term is a convenient rather than a correct one, as the or- 

 gans are not absent, but only imperfectly matured. 



In view of- this habit of the cultivated Strawberry, the plants 

 are set out in the proportion of one staminate to fifteen or 

 twenty pistillates, either in alternate rows or in close proxim- 

 ity. The pistillate flowers produce the fruit, but the pollen 

 of the staminate has previously fertilized them. Cultivators 

 watch the growth and bearing habits of their plants, and those 

 which are barren are not allowed to usurp the bed, but are 

 kept trimmed of runners. Stakes may be put in near the 

 fruitful plants, and runners be selected from good bearers for 

 new beds. 



Early in the spring is the best time for setting out plants, 

 varying of course according to the season and the latitude. 

 Care should be taken to keep the ground free from weeds 

 through the summer, and at the approach of winter the beds 

 should be covered two or three inches deep with coarse lit- 

 ter, vegetable mould, and earth from the woods. This light 

 dressing need not be disturbed in the spring, as the plants 

 will find their way through and grow vigorously. 



VARIETIES. 



These are very numerous, many having been introduced 

 from abroad. Our native Wood Strawberry, called abroad 

 Virginia Scarlet, has given us the varieties called Scarlet 

 Strawberries; the Pine or Surinam Strawberry, the sorts 



