APPENDIX. 115 



this hairy pollen, and the work of impregnation is 

 done ; and when the calyx opens, and the petals ex- 

 pand, the young strawberry may be seen perfectly 

 formed. From this will be seen the importance of the 

 pistillate and staminate varieties blooming together. I 

 would always prefer the pistillate plant for a large fruit 

 crop ; for, if properlj^ impregnated, nearly every bud 

 will be a berry. Thousands of blossoms will be 

 found in the beds to correspond with Figures 2 and 8. 

 Fig. 2, let it be recollected, is a staminate or male 

 flower, and Fig. 3 an impregnated pistillate or female 

 flower, neither of which, by itself, can ever make fruit. 



Having now explained the sexual character of the 

 plant, and the time of impregnation, I Avill proceed to 

 the culture. As I have before stated, were I to culti- 

 vate for vines alone, I would stimulate the plants by 

 the most active fertilizers ; but if fruit be the object, 

 the luxuriance of the vine must be curtailed, and that 

 food only known as the special food of the fruit given. 



Now as to soils. There are as many opinions as cul- 

 tivators, from the fact that the strawberry adapts itself 

 to almost any kind of soil. But the soil which I have 

 found to suit them best, is a sandy loam. I would pre- 

 fer new land for the beds, with a stream of water 

 running through them, as water, being an indispensable 

 requisite, should be in the vicinity. 



It is now well known throughout the Southern 



