THE STRAWBERRY. 385 



vey's Seedling; a, being the stamens, andi, the pistils. By 

 the use of a microscope it will be found that the former is 

 abundantly supplied with pollen or fertilizing dust, while the 

 latter is nearly or totally destitute. Hence Hovey's Seed- 

 ling or any other pistillate variety, can never, or but very 

 imperfectly, fertilize its own flowers, and the impregnation 

 must be derived from a staminate sort. 



Strictly speaking, the term staminate applies to those only 

 which are destitute of perfect pistils. Very few flowers, 

 however, are wholly destitute ; and most of those which 

 have perfect stamens, have also a greater or less number of 

 pistils, but usually much fewer than the pistillate flowers 

 only. This imperfection in the pistils of staminate sorts, 

 render those sorts usually unproductive.* Hence the great- 

 est bearers are mostly of the pistillate varieties, fertilized by 

 staminate sorts planted within a few feet for this purpose. 

 Without this assistance, derived from staminate flowers, 

 pistillates are either barren, or the fruit is imperfect and 

 distorted, only a part or the outer portion of the berry near- 

 est the stamens, being impregnated by the scanty supply of 

 pollen from the nearly abortive stamens. 



In planting strawberry beds, it is important, therefore, 

 to know the character of the flowers. Nothing is easier 

 than to distinguish the two when in blossom. This dis- 

 tinction is given in the arrangement of varieties which fol- 

 lows. About one quarter staminates are usually regarded 

 as abundant for fertilizing a bed. To prevent intermixture 

 of the two sorts by runners, they may be planted in alter- 

 nate strips, as indicated by the following diagram, S repre- 

 senting staminate, and P pistillate varieties : 



* There are a few exceptions to this general rule, as in case of the Large Early 

 Scarlet, which, although most conspicuously a staminate, is a profuse bearer. The 

 Alpine and Wood Strawberries have perfect flowers and are good bearers. 



