218 THE FLORIST AND 



Cutlrill's Black Prince, Boston Pine, Kittley's Goliath, Alice Maud, 

 British Queen, Boss's Phoenix, and Victoria. 



Among pistillate varieties, the flowers are cup shaped, compact, with the 

 sepals of the calyx scarcely perceptible between the petals of the corolla. 

 Stamens seldom visible, and when seen at all they are very minute, not 

 longer than the pistils at the base of receptacle, never showing signs of 

 having fertilizing powers, as the anthers never expand ; the whole remains 

 perfectly abortive. Pistils very numerous, uniform, stout, longer than in 

 perfect flowers, and have not such a feathery appearance as in staminate 

 sorts. Receptacle large, conical, always coming to perfection, and the in- 

 stances where pistillate flowers do not produce berries are very rare, in fac£ 

 scarcely ever to be met with ; at least my sorts have proved so ; and it is rea- 

 sonable to conclude that this has been occasioned by the sorts growing to- 

 gether. The following sorts have proved pistillate with me. 



Bourbon Pine, Hudson, Swanson, Burr's Pine, Hovey's Seedling, Iowa^ 

 and Moyamensing. 



The varieties enumerated, I have growing together (both pistillate andi 

 staminate) under what might be called the ordinary mode of cultivation iri 

 one place ; and in another completely isolated from them, I have a collec- 

 tion of the same sorts which have stood some years longer, and are almost 

 worn out. But this difference of situation, culture, &c. don't at all seem 

 to have affected or in the least degree altered the organs of re-production 

 in any variety ; for to me it seems that the character of pistillate or stami- 

 nate is as permanent and unchangable as in any other deciduous plant. 



A writer in one of the periodicals of the day, supposes it possible that 

 the receptacle of the strawberry might enlarge, or even come to perfection 

 without staminate influence having at all been required. That the experi- 

 ment of planting a pistillate strawberry in a situation where staminate in- 

 fluence could not reach it and that plant produce no berry, is the fact ; as 

 was proved by a cultivator in this neighborhood: but it is to be hoped that 

 the coming season will be taken advantage of by many of your correspon- 

 dents, for making experiments that will place this question in such a clear 

 and forcible manner before the public, so that all may be convinced, and 

 those interested in the culture of this fruit may take advantage of, and turn 

 to good account the information received. F. 



We hope that those of our friends who have made any observations, or 

 have anything to say on this interesting subject will be kind enough to com- 

 municate them to us. — Ed. 





