356 LongwortK s Pamphlet on the 



nate and pistillate character of the plant in England, we have positive evi- 

 dence from their great horticulturist, Keen himself. In the year 1809, (if 

 my memory serves me as to dale,) Keen discovered that a new seedling of 

 his planted by itself, did not swell the fruit. On a careful examination of 

 the blossom, it struck him that it might be owing to a defect in the male 

 organs. He then placed some staminate blossoms in a phial of water, and 

 suspended them in the bed. He found the fruit in the vicinity to swell im- 

 mediately, and he placed more phials of staminate blossoms in different, 

 parts of the bed, and had a fine crop. His letter will be found in the Trans- 

 actions of the London Horticultural Society for that year. What was true 

 m 1809, will be found still to be true. 1 have further evidence of the char- 

 acter of the plant in England. Fifteen years since, I imported several vari- 

 eties of strawberries from London, and among them I had both staminate 

 and pistillate plants, but not one variety in which both organs were perfect 

 in all the blossoms. The staminate varieties bore from one-tenth to one- 

 third of a crop. Under the name of Keen's seedling, I got a pistillate plant, 

 that impregnated, produces abundantly, and the fruit is large and fine. By 

 themselves, an acre would not produce a perfect berry. It is not what in 

 England is generally known by the name of Keen's seedling. — Mr. Keen 

 raised many varieties. The true Keen is a staminate plant, and is more 

 perfect in both organs than is usual, and produces a partial crop of large 

 fruit. I incline to the belief, that for market, their gardeners cultivate the 

 same seedling of his as the one sent me, and probably the same kind he im- 

 pregnated by hand. It is truly a valuable kind, and worth twenty of the 

 staminate seedlings. The staminate Keen is cultivated for forcing, and as 

 the object is large fruit, all the blossoms are picked off, except three or four 

 that set first. 



But it will be asked, if true, why is not this known to botanists, and to 

 all our nurserymen who raise the plant for sale. The reasons are obvious. 

 The strawberry belongs to a class of plants that have both the male and 

 female organs in the same blossom. In all the white varieties I have seen, 

 and in the Alpines, both organs are always perfect in the same blossom. 

 Both organs existing in all other varieties, though not both perfect in all the 

 blossoms, the attention of botanists is not directed to it, or, where noticed, 

 is supposed to be an accidental defect. In all the other species and varie- 

 ties I have seen, both wild and cultivated, I have met with one only where 

 the defect in the one organ or the other was not apparent, and in that the 

 fruit was very small. I have never seen a pistillate plant, (one in which 

 the female organs predominate,) that would by itself produce any perfect 

 fruit. Staminate plants (those in which the male organs predominate) 

 where partially productive, generally produce the sweetest and most highly 

 flavored fruit. In certain soils and certain seasons. Keen's seedling, Wil- 

 mot's, the Iowa, and some other staminate varieties, will produce half a 

 crop. 



Where our horticulturists raise from seed, all the stammate plants that 

 are entirely barren are of course thrown away, and the few staminates that 

 produce a partial crop of large fruit, retained. A pistillate plant, that. 



