PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 77 



ing- of the Club, ridiculing the idea that grape-vines ever blossom without 

 bearing fruit. Mr. Foster says: 



" If a grape-vine grew vigorously, and never blossomed, I should think 

 there was a defect in its cultivation; but I feel certain that there are 

 * flowering grape-vines ' which will not bear fruit. The largest grape-vine 

 I ever saw grows indigenous upon the banks of the White river. It has 

 had an abundance of blossoms every year for twenty years, but no fruit; 

 although great pains have been taken in its cultivation, and, I might add, 

 there is no other grape-vine within the distance of a mile. If the grapQ is 

 ever dioecious, then, of course, it may flower without bearing fruit; and 

 that some species may have perfect flowers and others not, is no more 

 strange than the same fact as regards the strawberry and raspberry. 



" All the works on botany which I have consulted agree that the flowers 

 of the Vitis Vinifera, or AVine grape, are perfect; and those of the Vitis 

 Labrusca, ' like most of the North American species, are dicecious.' 



"An examination of the flowers would, of course, settle the question 

 whether or not they are self-fertilizing." 



Mr. Pardee. — If we could get the flowers of this vine and test it under 

 the microsoope, some facts might be gained that would settle the question. 



Mr. E. P. Doughty, of New Jersey. — I have two grape-vines growing 

 upon my place very vigorously, one of them running upon a fence, the 

 other upon shrubbery, both of which blossom every year, and the flowers 

 are fragrant; and I believe neither of them ever produced a grape. One 

 of these I bought for a valuable white grape; the vine was quite large 

 when I set it, and during the first years I trimmed and cultivated it care- 

 fully, but as it produced nothing, I have since let it take its own course. 

 Here, then, certainly, are two barren grape-vines. 



The Chairman, Prof. Renwick. — It would be very easy for a botanist to 

 examine the flowers of one of these barren grape-vines to determine whether 

 or not they are dicecioiis; and I suggest that Mr. Foster should send some 

 of the flowers of his vine to us for examination, as Mr. Doughty says it is 

 too late to examine the flowers of his vine this year. 



Mr. Carpenter. — I do not think one would need a glass to examine the 

 flowers of a grape-vine, and I do not see why a grape-vine should not pro- 

 duce barren flowers as well as raspberries, strawberries and other plants. 

 I have given up the cultivation of Allen's raspberry on account of the flowers 

 being almost entirely of the pistillate variety. 



Strawberries. 



Mr. E. Gr. Pardee. — Although but few strawberries are wholly barren, it 

 is very certain that some varieties are nearly so, unless some staminate 

 plants of other varieties are planted near them. This is particularly the 

 case with Hovey's seedling. It is certain that a large portion of the blos- 

 soms of apple trees, cherry trees, peach trees, etc., are barren. 



Mr. Peter Gr. Bergen, of L. I. — I have a great many strawberry plants 

 that prove barren in another way; they have not produced any blossoms 

 this year. I am at quite a loss to know what to do with these plants — 

 whether to take them out and destroy them, or let them produce runners. 

 I am afraid the new plants would be barren. 



