ABOUT FRUITS, FLOWERS AND FARMING. 275 



THE STRAWBERRY CONTROVERSY. 



No man will deny that in their cultivated state, strawber- 

 ries are found, in respect to their blossoms, in three condi- 

 tions : first, blossoms Avith stamens alone, the pistillate organs 

 being mere rudiments ; second, blossoms with pistillate or- 

 gans developed fully, but the stamens very imperfect, and 

 inefficient ; third, blossoms in which staminate and pistillate 

 organs are both about equally developed. 



There are two questions arising on this state of facts ; 

 one, a question of mere vegetable physiology, viz., Is such 

 a state of organization peculiar to this plant originally, or 

 is it induced by cultivation ? The other question is one of 

 eminent practical importance, viz., What effect has this state 

 of organization upon the success of cultivation ? 



Passing by the first question, for the present, we would 

 say of the second that, a substantial agreement has at 

 length, been obtained. It is on all hands conceded that 

 staminate plants, or those possessing only stamens, and not 

 pistillate organs, are unfruitful. Any other opinion would 

 now be regarded as an absurdity. It is equally well under- 

 stood that pistillate plants, or those in which the female 

 organs are fully, and the male organs scarcely at aU devel- 

 oped, are unfruitful. Xo one would attempt to breed a 

 herd of cattle from males exclusively^ or from females; and, 

 for precisely the same reason, strawberries cannot be had 

 from plants substantially male, or substantially female, where 

 each are kept to themselves. 



But a difference yet exists among cultivators as to the 

 facts respecting those blossoms which contain both male and 

 female organs, or, as they are called, perfect flowering 

 plants. 



Mr. Longworth states, if we understand him, substan- 

 tially, that perfect-flowering varieties will bear but moder- 

 ate crops, and, usually, of small fruit. 



On the other hand. Dr. Brinkle, whose seedling straw- 



