O THE STRAWBERRY CTJLTURI8T. 



been grown. The varieties raised there are generally larger, not ai 

 productive, sweet, but not rich, having less of that aromatic flavor so 

 much admired by Americans. These varieties do not flourish as well 

 in our climate as those grown from the F, Virginiana. Seldom do we 

 get a large variety from Europe that succeeds well in this country, 

 simply because they are grown from the more tender species. 



But little improvement was made in the strawberry until the Euro- 

 pean cultivators commenced raising seedlings from the American spe- 

 cies, which were found susceptible of great improvement, without any 

 special effort or the application of any great scientific skill in their 

 culture. 



About the beginning of the present century, practical experiments 

 began in England by cross-breeding and hybridizing species and varie- 

 ties, and the results were soon apparent from the increased number of 

 large and fine varieties. Those that attracted the most attention at 

 that time were the Roseberry, raised by E. Davidson, in 1 810 ; Down-' 

 ton, by T. A. Knight, in 1816 ; Grove End Scarlet, by Atkinson, 1820 ; 

 Keen's Seedling, 1823 5 Elton, by Knight, 1828. Then Myatt fol- 

 lowed with his Pine, Prince Albert, Eliza, British Queen, etc. A host 

 of other growers were at work producing other fine varieties in in- 

 numerable numbers. 



The French, Belgian, and other continental strawberry growers were 

 also in the field, and the results are that the strawberry has become 

 one of the great fruits of Europe. 



Here we did not commence quite so soon, or go to work so earnestly 

 as did our transatlantic friends ; yet many fine varieties (or those con- 

 sidered so) were produced twenty years ago. 



The production of Hovey's Seedling, in 1834, gave a new impetus to 

 the production of new varieties, and it has been kept up with such 

 vigor that, probably, at the present time, we possess as many and as 

 fine varieties produced in this country as can be found in any other. 



THE SEXUAMTY OF STRAWBERRIES. 



We find, on examining the blossoms of strawberries in cultivation, 

 that while in some are found both stamens and pistils others have 

 only stamens, and others still only pistils. The first, represented by 



