TlIK STKAWHKUKY AM) ITS CULTURE. 99' 



pleases, toUl him that he used one huiidred cords of uiuiiui'e i)er 

 acre, for strawberries, and in addition had applied li<iuitl dressing 

 which was obtained by leaching" a quantity of other manure. The 

 effect of such treatment was astonishing. Plants set in August 

 had made such a growth by the end of September, that a half 

 Inishel measure could not be put over one of them. Similar treat- 

 ment was applied to melons and other crops with equally surpris- 

 ing results. Mr. Hadwen also spoke of the longevity of varieties 

 of the strawberry, saying that with the exception of our native 

 and tlie Alpine strawberry, all those he knew in his boyhood are 

 now lost to sight. Perhaps Hovey's Seedling had the longest life 

 of any cultivated variety — about forty years. The type of this 

 berry changed in form both of leaf and fruit, even in Mr. Hovey's 

 own grounds. In 1840 the price of Hovey's Seedling plants was 

 twenty-five cents each. The Wilson held out only thirty years, 

 and most others have had but a short career. The essayist had a 

 great opportunity and knowing very well how to improve it, had 

 accomplished a valuable service to all growers of this fruit. The 

 speaker was convinced that we must depend on new seedlings for 

 future use. 



Hon. Aaron Low being called upon said that many of the 

 lecturer's points agreed with his owu experience. He bought 

 Belmont plants aud set them on clay ground, and planted Jewells 

 alongside to grow runners. The Belmont made many runners and, 

 the bed was the handsomest of that variety he ever saw, but many 

 of the berries were imperfect. The Jewell plants were a great 

 success, but he thought a cross produced from Jewell and Belmont 

 would be very desirable. He believed Mr. Augur's theories about 

 cross-fertilization for new varieties are correct, but that a great 

 deal of experience is needed before one can expect much success 

 iu such operations. He was convinced that after a flower has 

 been fertilized by hand, bees cannot affect it very much. Iu 

 regard to producing new varieties of potatoes, he believed it 

 could be done only by planting the natural seed balls, as that is 

 the way Nature multiplies varieties in vegetables. The tuber of 

 a potato is not the seed, although the variety can be propagated by 

 the eyes of the tuber as it can by cuttings of the green stalk, as 

 many other kinds of plants can be multiplied. New varieties 

 must be produced by cross-fertilization of the flowers, and plant- 

 ing the seed produced from those flowers. As there will be great 



