STRAWBERRY REPORT. 139 



while in some plants the flowers are apparently perfect in 

 both sets of organs, one set is really defective, to a greater or 

 less extent, and, in others, the flowers which we style pistil- 

 late, have the stamens so imperfectly developed as entirely to 

 elude a casual observation, and only to be discovered by a 

 critical observer, and then, in most instances, found to be 

 wholly abortive. 



5. That no pistillate plant will bear a perfect fruit, if kept 

 entirely apart from staminate varieties. 



6. That no staminate plants, which we have yet seen, can 

 be depended upon by the cultivator as heavy bearers, though, 

 from some unknown causes, the pistils may be so well devel- 

 oped as to be followed by a good crop, some years, and in 

 some situations. 



7. That there is no such thing yet known to us as a perfect 

 flowered strawberry plant, in which the blossoms will all be 

 uniformly so well provided with both sets of organs as to be 

 followed by perfect fruit every year. 



8. That the only method of producing this delicious fruit, 

 with any degree of certainty as to the result, is that now 

 adopted by our intelligent cultivators, namely : To set out 

 plants of both of the sexual classes, the relative proportions 

 of each to be determined by experience, selecting such pistil- 

 late kinds as may prove of good size and flavor, and only so 

 many staminates as may be found necessary for impregnation. 



9. That the runners from a strawberry plant are as integral 

 portions of itself as the branches and buds of a tree ; and, 

 therefore, that we may always propagate any variety by this 

 means, with as much certainty as we perpetuate any variety 

 of apple, or other fruit, by grafting or inoculation. 



There are 'great differences in the productiveness of the 

 staminates, from those which are entirely barren to those 

 which may bear tolerably well, or even very well, under 

 peculiar circumstances; but our cultivators have been unable 

 to ascertain ary regimen, soil, or treatment, that will insure 



