Some Remarks on the groioth of the Strawberry. 289 



I afterwards examined a large number of plants promiscu- 

 ously; the great majority bore only female flowers; the re- 

 maining flowers had both stamens and stiles. I found no 

 flower with stamens exclusively, though there were a very few 

 where the pistils were so small, that they had proved entirely 

 abortive, and had withered. This bed has borne abundantly, 

 and I doubt whether a single plant, except those last men- 

 tioned, failed of producing large and finely flavored fruit. 



The next fact which I have to state is much more decisive. 

 Last fall I bought a dozen of the Hoveys' Seedling. These 

 I planted by themselves, at a distance of at least eight rods 

 from any other strawberries. They threw out several flowers 

 this spring, all of which were without stamens. I anticipated 

 a poor crop of fruit, and so it proved. A few berries were 

 set, but of a very diminutive size, and not one fairly ripened. 



In the height of the strawberry season I visited a friend 

 who had a very large bed of the Methven Castle. The fruit 

 was well colored, but exceedingly diminutive. I examined 

 ihe few flowers which still remained in blow, and found all of 

 them without stamens, and I presume, therefore, that all the 

 flowers in the bed were of this description. 



These facts confirm the conclusions at which I understood 

 you to arrive, — 



First — That no good fruit can be expected from a bed of 

 strawberries where there are no stamens, or where there are 

 stamens only. 



Secondly — That perfect flowers answer as well for fertil- 

 izing the stile-bearing plants, as flowers with stamens only, 

 and, as they give fruit, are more profitable; and such I see is 

 your conclusion. 



These points have been little regarded, because, in making 

 up strawberry beds, gardeners generally happen to collect a 

 sufficient number of strawberries with perfect flowers; but that 

 some strawberries are always dioecious, and that many are often 

 so, is distinctly asserted by eminent French writers. 



It has been less precisely noticed in English works, for the 

 reason given just above, but you will still find the fact recog- 

 nized incidentally. Thus we have, in the second volume of 

 the Transactions of the London Horticultural Societrj, a 

 communication from Mr. Keen, in which he states that he 

 procured no fruit from a plat of the hautbois, on account of 

 the want of perfect flowers, and that this defect was remedied 



VOL. VIII. — NO. VIII. 37 



