126 CULTURE OF THE STRAWBERRY. 



New Orleans, packed in ice, has just commenced, and may 

 eventually become an important branch of business, as they 

 can be taken down in a week by our regular packets. No 

 place in the world is probably better adapted for preparing 

 strawberry jelly for exportation ; of which article, a large 

 quantity is now annually imported from France, and sold in 

 the eastern cities, and at New Orleans. 



For an elaborate account of the theory in regard to the in- 

 fluence of the sexual character upon Strawberry plants, the 

 reader is referred to Mr. LONGWORTH'S letter to the Society. 

 (Minutes Cincinnati Horticultural Society.) 



I regret that the committee on the character of the Straw- 

 berry plant, have not yet been able to make up a unanimous 

 report. It arises from a failure of the crop with some mem- 

 bers of the committee, and from a conviction with our Euro- 

 pean gardeners, that all varieties were perfect in both organs, 

 in Europe ; and they are slow to believe the contrary. This 

 I am positive is not the fact in England. In some soils and 

 some climates, and in favorable seasons, such staminate plants 

 as are partially perfect in the female organs, yield a larger 

 crop than usual ; but can never be made to bear a full crop. 

 But in raising from seed, fully one half will in general be 

 staminate plants, and not one in fifty of them bear even a 

 single fruit. Those that do bear, produce many defective 

 berries. I do not believe that any soil, climate or season can 

 make the pistillate plant bear singly ; and it is the only one 

 worthy of cultivation for a crop. Of this, and of the stamin 

 ate and pistillate character of the plant in England, we have 

 positive evidence from their great horticulturist, Keen himself. 

 In the year 1809 (if my memory serves me as to date), 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 vial 

 of water, and suspended them in the bed. He found the 



