66 



Meeting of Agricultural Society. 



Vol. X. 



ded in a rather deep cavity: Flesh, pale scar- 

 let, solid, fine grained, very juicy, sweet and 

 rich, with a high and most delicious flavor: 

 Footstalks, long and spreading, elevating the 

 fruit from the ground : Flowers, large, and 

 perfect, possessing both stamens and pistils : 

 Leaves, large, of a lighter and duller green 

 than deeply and sharply serrated : Vines, ex- 

 ceedingly hardy and vigorous. Ripe nearly as 

 Hovey's Seedling, narrower, and much more 

 early as the Old Scarlet or Virginia, filling 

 up the season between that kind and Hovey's 

 Seedling, when there is no other of equal 

 merit. 



" The sterile and fertile character of the 

 strawberry has been a subject of much dis- 

 cussion in our pages, and no perfectly satis- 

 factory result has been arrived at. But 

 enough information has been elicited to show, 

 that with some sorts there is a tendency to 

 barrenness, when growing in a plantation 

 away from other kinds. Let the causes be 

 whatever they may, it is sufficient for all 

 practical purposes, to know, that the most 

 abundant crops can be procured by planting 

 some sort abounding with slaminate flowers, 

 in the near vicinity of those which do not 

 possess them : and whether soil, — climate, — 

 cultivation, — injudicious selection of plants, 

 or a normal defect in the organization of the 

 flowers, prevent the production of pollen, a 

 certain crop may be depended upon. Thus 

 in a plantation of Hovey's Seedling, a single 

 row of the Old Scarlet or Boston Pine, will 

 fertilize a dozen rows of the former. We 

 know of one gentleman who has raised two 

 thousand quarts of Hovey's Seedling on a 

 single acre, set out in this way, the present 

 year. It is time and labor thrown away to 

 cultivate sterile plants, as has been recom- 

 mended by some individuals, when varieties, 

 unusually productive and of large size can 

 be planted out for that purpose. It is in this 

 respect, that we view our new seedling as 

 invaluable to every good collection of straw- 

 berries. 



" We have given great attention to the 

 strawberry, and cultivated all the varieties 

 introduced for the last twenty years, and 

 proved nearly twenty sorts the present sea- 

 son. Of the whole number, however, there 

 are only four which can be recommended 

 for general cultivation. Others will do for 

 the amateur, who minds not time nor expense 

 to ensure their growth; but our object has 

 been to produce fruit fit for the "million;" 

 varieties which need not the fostering care 

 of the gardener, or which heed the intense 

 cold of our northern clime, — but such as 

 with ordinary care may always, and in every 

 soil, be depended upon for a crop. We started 

 with such a purpose in view, and we believe 



it has been accomplished. Should an oppor- 

 tunity present, we hope to give an article, 

 showing the comparative merit of the varie- 

 ties we fruited the present year. 



" The four varieties are the Old Scailet or 

 Early Virginia, the best and largest very 

 early variety : the Boston Pine to succeed if, 

 and in small gardens to take its place : Ho- 

 vey's Seedling, and the common Red Wood, 

 These will give a continued succession of 

 splendid fruit of unsurpassed excellence, 

 from early in June to the end of July, a space 

 of two months ; and when desired, with some 

 care, the Alpine will prolong the season to 

 October. The market affords the best test 

 of the superiority of any kind for general 

 cultivation. Let a comparison be made, of 

 the supply, and the sorts, three years ago, 

 with the past season. Keen's Seedling, im- 

 ported in 1826, out of all the foreign kinds, 

 was the only large one to be seen, and that 

 exceedingly scarce. This year nearly the 

 whole stock consisted of Hovey's Seedling, 

 and Early Virginia, and the Wood : ihrae 

 cultivators alone sending to Boston market 

 more thanybur thousand Jive hundred quarts 

 of the former variety." 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Meeting of Agricultural Society. 



At a Stated monthly meeting of the Phil- 

 adelphia Society for promoting Agriculture, 

 held at their room September 3d, — K. Smith, 

 Esq., Vice President, in the chair; — present 

 13 members. 



One new member was elected, and two 

 others were proposed for election at the next 

 meeting. 



A communication from William Embrce, 

 of Chester county, on experiments made 

 with guano on grass, &c., the present sea- 

 son, on the farm of Dr. A. L. EUwyn, was 

 read and ordered to be published in the Far- 

 mers' Cabinet. An interesting statement was 

 made by Mr. S. C. Ford, showing the value 

 of guano and poudrette as manures, for corn, 

 grass, &c., in which other members con- 

 curred. 



A.. Clement exhibited a very superior sam- 

 ple of white wheat, from the farm of Mr. 

 Peter Wager, from seed obtained from Mr. 

 R. T. Potts. 



Mr. James Pedder brought to the room, a 

 few uncommonly large and fine peaches, 

 from the farm of Major Raybold, which were 

 highly relished by the members present. 



Tlie Farmers' Cabinet will contain a 

 statement of the products of the Messrs. 

 Raybold's orchards, up to the last of August. 

 A. Clement, Rec. Sec'y. 



