AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 429 



STRAWBERRY BLOSSOMS. 

 Fig. 294 



A. Perfect or bi-sexual blossom, having stamens and pistils in due proportion. 



B. Imperfect staminate blossom, having stamens, but lacking pistils. 



C. Imperfect pistillate blossom, having pistils, but lacking stamens. 



A. Plants bearing perfect or bi-sexual flowers, as Fig. 294 A, 

 are always fruitful, but more or less so according as they pro- 

 duce their stamens and pistils in sufficient or insufficient pro? 

 portion to one another. These varieties are very commonly, 

 but quite improperly, called staminates, or by another designa- 

 tion, which, as applied to fertile plants, is simply absurd. 



B. Plants bearing only staminate flowers, as Fig. 294 B, 

 are uniformly and entirely fruitless. 



C. Plants bearing pistillate flowers, as Fig. 294 (7, are fruit- 

 less, unless in combination with plants bearing perfect flow- 

 ers, as A, certain varieties of which have stamens in excess ; 

 or with plants bearing only staminate flowers, as B 9 in con- 

 nection with which they may be regarded as anomalous dioe- 

 cious varieties (see page 76). In such combinations they are 

 very fruitful, and some of the finest known varieties are of this 

 class, or belong to a subdivision of bi-sexual flowers in which 

 a deficient proportion of stamens is developed, and, consequent- 

 ly, when planted alone, they yield but little fruit, and are 

 therefore also sometimes erroneously called pistillates. 



COMBINATION OP CLASSES. 



If it is desired to cultivate such kinds on account of special 

 qualities in the fruit, the end may be readily secured by plant- 

 ing your beds of only three rows width, leaving a space of three 

 feet between the beds, and along the centre of this space plant- 

 ing a single row of any good perfect-flowered variety, which 



