124 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



the perfect flower which produces fruit without impregnation 

 from any other plant. The Wilson seedling has a perfect blos- 

 som, and is one of the most productive strawberries known ; the 

 fruit is pretty strongly acid. Many of the flowers of the wild 

 strawberry are barren for want of other plants near them to fur- 

 nish impregnating pollen, and that is the reason why we see such 

 a show of blossoms some seasons in the fields, and so little 

 fruit. 



Wm. S. Carpenter. — It is important to know how to cultivate 

 small fruits, and that is what we cannot always learn in books. 

 Now, . the ground around raspberries and strawberries should 

 never be disturbed in the growing season. 



The Secretary. — It is said that Chili produces the best variety 

 of strawberries. I have tried them. I mulched my bed with 

 the remains of a wood cellar, raking out the coarse barks and 

 chips, and produced a most abundant crop. 



Mr. Carpenter. — In transplanting strawberries I mulch the bed, 

 and my plants will live in the dryest weather. I use fresh cut 

 grass. 



The Chairman. — It is not always true that disturbing the 

 ground about raspberries and strawberries will injure them. We 

 always used to plow and hoe the ground about our raspberries 

 in the spring, and got good crops. 



Mr. Pardee. — Still the general rule is that all fruit plants in 

 the bearing season should not be disturbed. It is because that 

 in hoeing we are apt to injure the fibrous roots. To maim these 

 is liable to injure the power of the plant to produce fruit, I 

 would transplant strawberries early in July, and fix the bed in 

 the fall, so it would not need any disturbance in the spring. It 

 is important, if you want a full crop of any fruit, that you pre- 

 pare for it when the plants are not in bearing. In hoeing around 

 strawberries, care must be taken not to cut near the plants. I 

 mulch my beds, and don't sow weeds. You can soon annihilate 

 weeds by not sowing their seeds. 



SPECIMEN OF THE AGAVE AMERICANA. 



Mr. Garvey presented a specimen of the above plant, and made 

 some remarks upon its history interesting to the club. He 

 thinks that more attention should be paid to the cultivation of 

 this plant at the south, on account of its fiber. 



