6*68 THE STRAWBERRY. 



The second class, to which belong various other sorts, such 

 as Hovey's Seedling, Black Prince, etc., prcducing only pistil- 

 ' bearing flowers, do not set fruit at all when grown quite apart 

 by themselves ; but when grown near a proper number of 

 staminate plants, so as to be duly fertilized by them, they bear 

 much larger crops, of much more perfect berries, than can be 

 produced in this climate in any other way. 



This is no longer a matter of theory, for the market of Cin- 

 cinnati, in which are sold six thousand bushels of strawberries 

 annually, is supplied more abundantly and regularly than per- 

 haps any other in the world, by this very mode of culture. 



In planting strawberry beds, it is important, therefore, to 

 the cultivator, to know which are the staminate, and which the 

 pistillate, varieties as they are found to be permanent in these 

 characters. We have, accordingly, designated these traits in 

 the descriptions of the varieties which follow. 



Upon the relative proportion of staminates to pistillate plants, 

 cultivators are not absolutely agreed. Where, however, such 

 hardy sorts as the Large Early Scarlet, or Boston Pine, are 

 chosen for starninates, it is sufficient to plant one-eighth as many 

 of these as of pistillates, to insure a full crop of the latter. 

 When staminate sorts, like Keen's Seedling, or like less hardy 

 kinds, are chosen, then the proportion should be one-third to 

 two-thirds of pisti Hates. 



Thus, in planting in the alternate-strip mode, let every twelve 

 feet of each strip be planted with Hovey's Seedling (pistillate), 

 and the succeeding four feet with Large Early Scarlet. A very 

 little trouble, bestowed when the runners are extending across 

 the open spaces, will preserve the proportion good from year to 

 year. The appearance of a plat, planted in this way, will be as 

 follows : S represents staminate, and P pistillate, varieties. 



In planting in beds, the same course may be adopted, 



or, what is perhaps better, every third or fourth bed! 



8 s s may be entirely staminate, and the rest pistillate sorts 1 



P P P (the beds in this case being supposed to be side by 



P P P side). 



Nothing is easier than to distinguish the two classes 

 P P P of strawberries when in blossom. In one, the stami- 

 nate, the long yellow anthers (a), bearing the fine dust 

 p p p or pollen, are abundant ; in the other, the pistillate, 

 p p p only the cluster of pistils (b), looking like a very minute 

 8 8 I green strawberry, is visible (that is to the common 

 1 1 s observer, for the wanting organs are merely rudimen- 

 888 tary, and not developed). 



