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THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 





from his nursery, by express, to all the 

 principal points of this State. Every 

 farmer should have a strawberry bed. 



We annex communications on this "straw- 

 berry'' subject, from the Pioneer strawberry 

 cultivators in Cincinnati and IS'ewark, New 

 Jersey: 



CiNciXNATi, July 12, 1857. 

 Editor Western Farm Journal: 



Sir — In the publication, in which the 

 strawberries I sent to your Horticultural 

 Society, is named, the root containing 104 

 berries, is called the McAvoy Superior. 

 It was the Extra Red, which I deem the 

 most valuable to cultivate for market, from 

 its great beauty of color, large crop, and 

 uniform good size. In aroma, flavor, and 

 size, I deem that McAvoy's Superior has no 

 pistillate rival. That where raised for 

 family use, it has no competitor. But is too 

 soft to carry, even one or two miles, except 

 in a spring wagon. I had a crop of Wil- 

 son's Albany Seedling in fruit this season. 

 My impression is, that it will be a valuable 

 market fruit. It is hermaphrodite, and my 

 impression is, that it will bear a full crop 

 of perfect fruit, and proves, as our Prolific 

 does, that from seed, we may raise a chance 

 seedling, perfect in both male and female 

 organs. We have never seen one of its 

 perfect character from England, where they 

 hold to the doctrines of the great Linneeus, 

 J;hat all strawberry plants, are perfect in 

 Doth male and female organs; that a plant 

 entirely defective in stamens, or one entirely 

 defective in pistils does not exist. Yet,where 

 we raise seedlings, hermaphrodites, like 

 angels' visits, are "few and far between." 

 They believe if we have such plants, in 

 their soil and climate, they would change 

 their character. The justly celebrated Mr. 

 Downing, published that this change had 

 taken place in his garden. I shall believe 

 these statements to be true, as soon as the 

 Boston spiritual committee allows me to be- 

 lieve in spiritual rappings. Until they do, 

 I shall believe that Mr. Downing had |a 

 "strange bull jump into the pen." Mr. 

 Boyden, of Newark, New Jersey, has a new 

 hermaphrodite seedling, that I saw in fruit, 

 recently iu his garden. It is of extra large 

 size, great vigor of growth, and ripens later 

 than other plants, and appeared to bear a 

 full crop. Seth Boyden ranks as their first 

 inventive, manufacturing genius, and lead- 

 ing horticulturist. I had them iu bearing 

 this spring. I called on him last spring, to 

 buy plants. He refused to sell, but insisted 

 on giving me all I wanted. I was com- 



pelled to yield. He has been recently in- 

 duced to sell. His integrity is undoubted, 

 and I would advise persons to purchase 

 from him. He resides two miles below 

 Newark, New Jersey. His Post Office is 

 Irvington, New Jersey. Yours, &c., 

 N. LONGWORTH. 

 P. S. The city of Newark has been bene- 

 fitted greatly by his inventive genius. But 

 he knows not the value of money, and is 

 poor. 



Newark, N. J., June 16, 1857. 

 To the President of the Farmer's Club: 



Dear Sir: Desiring to benefit the pub- 

 lic, and at the same time incidentally to 

 serve an old and valued friend, induces me 

 to send with this, a strawberry plant in 

 fruit. This strawberry is the results of ex- 

 periments, by Mr. Seth Boyden, one of the 

 most intelligent horticulturists in the coun- 

 try — resident in Essex county. New Jersey, 

 near this city. . 



The fruit, it will be observed by the 

 specimens herewith, is of extra large size, 

 measuring four and a quarter to four and a 

 half inches— some of the berries last year 

 measured five and five-eighths inches — is 

 of good flavor, fine color, firm, and of a 

 glossy waxy appearance. It is a seedling 

 of the Scotch Goliah, hybridized with 

 Hovey's Seedling, and although it has 

 some of the characteristics of each of those 

 fruits, it surpasses them both in several par- 

 ticulars. The plant is thrifty, growing and 

 hardy — the original plant, now four years 

 old, being as thrifty as ever — more than an 

 average bearer, and like Long worth's "Pro- 

 Ific," every flower produces a perfect fruit. 

 It is about ten days later than the flovey 

 and Longworth, but it compensates for its 

 tardiness in commencing, by its constancy 

 and continued productiveness after it does 

 begin — continuing to fruit after other var- 

 ieties have ceased to bear, yielding a m^ch 

 larger amount of fruit than either of its 

 progenitors. Though Mr. Boyden has done 

 much in advancing horticulture, it is mainly 

 as an inventor and manufacturer that he has 

 benefited his country. It is to his genius 

 we are indebted for the introduction of the 

 manufacture of Patent Leather and Malle- 

 able Iron into this country ; and it is to him 

 the world is indebted for the invention of 

 the "cut off" to the steam engine, now un- 

 iversally adopted, the first one being made 

 and put into operation in this city. Re- 

 tiring from these persuits, which have con- 

 ferred so much benefit on his fellows, though 

 yielding him nothing, he has, during the 



