AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 263 



I consider the best pistillate plant in cultivation, from the large 

 size of the fruit and its superior flavor and large crop. There are 

 some pistillates that have some berries of as large a size, but not 

 of as large a uniform size, that I have seen, by one-fifth." 



Mr. Pardee remarked that formerly he had supposed it to be 

 very desirable to plant as early as possible, but of late, his obser- 

 vations and experience had induced him to pursue a contrary 

 course. After referring to several articles which succeeded 

 much better by late planting, the strawberry was cited as a good 

 illustration of his experience. His preference, in time, for setting 

 out a new strawberry bed, was the latter part of June, after the 

 heavy spring rains had passed, and the summer's sun had baked 

 the ground, and the first growth of weeds had started and had 

 been killed. Then, if the ground was dug deep and finely pul- 

 verized, and the plants set and watered to get a good start, the 

 bed would need but little care or cultivation fir several years of 

 successive bearing; and very few weeds would there appear, 

 especially, if a slight coating of spent tan-bark or saw-dust was 

 applied while the ground was fresh. By this plan, he had seen 

 beds in his garden bear five and six years in succession, by an 

 occasional spading under of the old hills and the substitution of 

 runners. The best season for planting for indifferent cultivators, 

 is April, for then plants can be easily obtained, and in the moisture 

 of spring few will die, even if in a measure neglected. 



I have no doubt whatever that strawberries could be very easily 

 m.ade to assume a perpetual bearing character, by giving them 

 proper treatment; but this could not be done (except with the 

 -alpines) on rich soils, or by the use of exciting animal 

 manures. 



Not only had Mr. Peabody succeeded, under the hot sun of 

 Georgia, with Hovey's Seedling. Burr's New Pine and the large 

 Early Scarlet, but Mr. Henry Lawrence, in the 3rd Municipality, 

 New Orleans, had, in a like manner succeeded, on the rich bottom 

 lands in that city, by an admixture of two-thirds river land to the 

 soil, and the application of water as needed, in furnishing his 

 table with ripe strawberries from March until January. Mr, 



