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BOTANICAL STRUCTURE. The strawberry is described as a 

 genus of perennial herb, belonging to the general order Rosacese. 

 It has trifoliate leaves, flat or reflexed, creeping stolons or runners, 

 flowers white or yellow. The petals of the flowers are disposed 

 around the more or less enlarged receptacle of the flower stalk. 

 The strawberry is not a fruit in the true sense of the word, but an 

 exaggerated fleshy receptacle of the flower stalk, in which are 

 embedded a number of small hard seed-like bodies, which are the 

 true fruits. As the swollen fleshy receptacles grow in size and 

 mature they become coloured, juicy, and flavoured. In a strictly 

 botanical sense, therefore, the strawberries are neither berries nor 

 fruit any more than turnips or potatoes are roots. 



Naturally the strawberry flower possesses stamens or male 

 organs and pistils or female organs. It is, therefore, perfect, as both 

 these organs are necessary for the production of fruit. This is so 

 in the wild state. Under the influence of cultivation, however, or 

 when transplanted amid surroundings which are foreign to its 

 primitive habitat, the strawberry, like a great many other plants, 

 may become subject to structural alterations which deeply modify 

 its sexuality. 



The figures show two types of flowers : the " bi-sexual " or 

 self -fertile flowers and the " pistillate" or imperfect flower. 



Both possess petals ; in the perfect or bi-sexual blossom, and 

 around the convex core which, when developed, constitutes the 

 strawberrv are two sets of organs, viz. : the 

 female organs or pistils (p) in the centre, and 

 around them the male organs or stamens (s). 

 In perfect blossoms, these stamens are equal in 

 length, or longer than the pistils, and they are 

 then able, when the anthers or seed- sacs which 

 surmount each of them, are ready to burst, 

 to shed the grains of pollen on the stigma or 

 receptive end of the pistil, a tubular organ 

 down which they travel to the ovaiy, where 

 pollenation or impregnation takes place. 



The imperfect flowers on the other hand, or " Pistillate," only 

 possess the female organ (p), the stamens being either absent or 

 diminutive in size, or else reflexed. Such flower, to produce fruit, 

 must be fertilised by a flower possessing stamens. It follows in 

 practice that whenever pistillate varieties are 

 planted, it is necessary to intermix with them 

 bi-sexual or hermaphrodite varieties. 



Such intermarriage must be made with dis- 

 cernment, and it is imperative that the sorts to be 

 mated should blossom concurrently, that is to say, 

 an early and a late blossoming variety, however 

 desirable in every other respect, should not be 

 planted closely adjacent ; the period of blossom- 



Bi-sexual. 



Pistillate. 



