260 On different varieties of Strawberries; 



es. The subject has been more than once mentioned in our 

 previous volumes, by ourselves and contributors; and in an 

 excellent article on the cultivation of the strawberry, (Vol. 

 IV., p. 161,) by our correspondent, Mr. Downing, he has 

 given directions for the best mode of securing a crop of fruit 

 of those kinds which are imperfect in the blossoms. Mr. 

 Longworth was the first to point out this fact, so long overlook- 

 ed by scientific men, to Mr. Downing, and the truth of it 

 confirmed by an examination of the plants. 



We are happy in being enabled to offer the above remarks 

 of Mr. Longworth at this time; not only because he has 

 brought the subject up in such a manner, but because it has 

 called our attention to it, and given us an opportunity to con- 

 firm what he has stated, in relation to our seedling strawberry, 

 and to other varieties mentioned in his communication; and to 

 correct an error under which we labored, in regard to the per- 

 fect character of the blossoins of the former variety. 



In our article upon our seedling, (Vol. VI., p. 2S4,) we 

 alluded to the fact of there being sterile and fertile plants of 

 the Downton, Bishop's Orange, and others, and remarked that 

 "a want of a knowledge of this fact had heretofore occasioned 

 much disappointment in the cultivation of these varieties." 

 We also stated that such was not the case with our own vari- 

 ety; that every flower was perfect, and followed by a full siz- 

 ed fruit. Our opinion was not based upon a very minute in- 

 spection of the flower, but from what we thought a safer mode 

 of judging, the fact that every single bloom which opened pro- 

 duced a fruit: this the plants did in 1838, '39, '40, and '41 ; and 

 to such a degree was the original bed, which was not destroy- 

 ed till the present summer, productive, that many of the most 

 intelligent cultivators who saw it, among whom we may name 

 Mr. Haggerston, gardener to J. P. Gushing, Esq., assured us 

 that they had never seen it equalled. We took it for granted 

 that there could be no such thing as a sterile plant, when all 

 bore a crop of fruit. 



In the spring of 1841 we had occasion to make a new bed, 

 more particularly for the growth of young plants than for the 

 fruit: this bed, in order to be sure that the variety should be 

 kept distinct, was placed in a remote part of the garden, at 

 least fifty yards from any other kind. During last season they 

 made a good growth, and covered the ground with the vines 

 in the autumn. From this bed immense quantities of plants 



