Retrospective Criticism. 455 



with the remark that they had proved so fine, we wished him to give them 

 atrial. Three years afterwards, when on a visit to Newburgh, we were 

 desirous of learning Mr. D.'s opinion of the variety : he then stated it had not 

 done well with him. Now was not this to be attributed to its true charac- 

 ter ? and that the plants had probably been set out by themselves, and had 

 failed to produce fruit from the want of some fertilizing kind in near prox- 

 imity % We apprehend this to be the case, for two or three years is ample time 

 to bring any variety of the strawberry into fruit ; and if strawberries could 

 not be produced from 1839 to '42, what nev/ system of cultivation has Mr. 

 Downing discovered, which has enabled him to produce " one of the most 

 uniform and handsome crops," ever seen, from 1842 to 1845? The pre- 

 sumption is, that, owing to the failure of the plants to bear, the beds had 

 been neglected, as it is well known they often are in nurseries, and neigh- 

 boring kinds allowed to overrun and take possession of the ground ; and 

 hence the discovery of staminate plants in 1845. 



It will be taxing the patience of our readers who have already heard so 

 much of the strawberry question, to extend our remarks. Our views have 

 been given in the page referred to by Mr. Saul, and remain unchantred. If 

 tivelve years have failed to produce a single perfect flower on plai. is under 

 every aspect of cultivation, under our own eye, from the very highest to the 

 most neglected state, we certainly think that no other cultivator has done so 

 in the less period of seven years, since they have been disseminated. " No 

 result of circumstances" will ever change pistillate to staminate flowers, as 

 they are generally termed ; and every cultivator may rkst assured that, 



IF HIS plants are STAMINATE, HE DOES NOT POSSESS THE TRUE HoVEY'S 



Seedling Strawberry. — Ed. 



Mr. Longworlh'' s Ideas upon the Strawberry , and the Editor'' s Remarks, p. 

 360. — I see, in the September number of the Magazine, that Mr. Longworth 

 of Cincinnati is still impressed with the idea that Hovey's seedling strawberry, 

 when left to itself, will not bear a crop, and Mr. Hovey himself, to some 

 extent, endorses his opinion, by recommending that other kinds be planted 

 in near proximity, in order to ensure a good crop. So far as our practical 

 experience goes, (not theory,) we beg leave to differ from both, and to main- 

 tain that Hovey's Seedling will bear as good, and, we think, a better crop 

 by itself than any of the larger kinds of strawberries, no matter whether 

 they be planted a distance apart from the fertilizing ones, or side by side \ 

 neither do we think that any of the smaller kinds, although ])roducmg a lar- 

 ger number of berries, will bear more weight of strawberries on the ground 



than Hovey's seedling when it is properly managed. When Hovey's 



Seedling was first advertised for sale, we did not send to Boston for a sup- 

 ply ; the distance was great ; and so many different lines of commanication 

 to pass through deterred us. The spring following, some of the plants hav- 

 ing found their way to Baltimore, a friend, as a special favor, procured a 

 single plant from Mr. John Feast, now being for sale. This plant he gave 

 to me on his return. Wiiether it was possessed of too many or too few 

 male or female organs, or whether it belonged altogether to the one de- 

 scription or the other, we cannot now determine ; for, at that time, our atten- 



