Mr. hongwortK s Pamphlet^ ^c. 361 



other varieties. If strawberries are allowed to decay on the 

 vines, seedlings will be seen to spring up if the beds are not 

 disturbed. A large majority of the Cincinnati committee state 

 that plants " never change their character." This question we 

 therefore consider as satisfactorily settled, without discuss- 

 ing Mr. Longworth's conflicting views, about "male and female 

 Keen's," "male and female Hudson," &c. 



3d. Are perfect flowering plants necessary to fertilize the 

 imperfect floivering ones ? 



Here we say unreservedly, — yes. Without them a good 

 crop can never be produced ; and this we have advised for up- 

 wards oftu-o years, after testing the fact. Out of the great 

 number of English strawberries which have been introduced, 

 only five or six have been found with imperfect flowers : that 

 which will afford the best example is the Methven scarlet. It 

 is not very surprising, then, that English cultivators should 

 say but little on the subject, as the Methven was so inferior a 

 variety that it soon went out of cultivation. Our strawberry 

 was, we believe, the first seedling raised in this country, not- 

 withstanding so many have been produced since ; and it has 

 been a source of great satisfaction to know that our example 

 has produced such good results. Its immense size and excel- 

 lence induced many cultivators to root out all other sorts, and 

 cultivate this alone, justly thinking it useless to grow inferior 

 ones : their haste, however, ended in disappointment. In the 

 place of the abundant crop anticipated, in many instances the 

 beds were entirely barren, and the variety was at once con- 

 demned. Hence arose the controversy on this subject ; but we 

 have at last, by the repeated discussion of the subject, arrived 

 at certain results. No longer need there be any doubt. We 

 repeat, as the one essential thing to produce Hovey's Seedling, 

 in its fullest abundance and excellence, the planting of perfect 

 flowering kinds in near proximity, say loithin six, ten or twelve 

 feet, and for extensive cultivation, alternate beds, in the jiropor- 

 tion of three or four rows of the latter to ten or twelve of the 

 former. The best sorts which we have found for this pur- 

 pose are the Early Virginia or Old Scarlet, and the Boston 

 Pine, the latter having the largest flowers and the strongest 

 stamens, with a profusion of pollen. 



We have extended our remarks beyond the limits of a Re- 



VOL. XII NO. IX. 46 



