HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 363 



New Brighton, Staten Island, V 

 November 14, 1853. j 

 Mr. Hanson — 



Dear Sir: — -I do not wish to enter the arena of public warfare now being 

 so fiercely waged on the vexed strawberry question, but when I see so much 

 assertion, without the least shadow of a scientific proof, being so strongly 

 advocated by the firm of Longworth, Prince '& Co., I cannot refrain from 

 recording an example which has come under my own observation. What a 

 "mare's nest" have they discovered and what has it brought forth but 

 "moonshine ?" It is a pity that these gentlemen with all their experience 

 and practice, should not have observed a little closer the action of nature's 

 laws, and been more susceptible of conviction, instead of abiding so closely 

 by the argument, "It is so, because it is." Had they made the same use of 

 their brains as the immortal Linnaeus, did, they would have known before 

 this, that a pistillate strawberry might be made under favorable influences 

 to produce stamens-, but — • v 



"A man convinced against his will, 

 Is of the same opinion still." 

 and it appears to be the case with them. 



However faulty and prejudiced the English character may be generally, 

 there has been no cause for accusation in this matter ; and it adds nothing 

 to the credit of men who move in £0 respectable a position, to be retorting 

 upon nationality when discussing matters relating to science. Their own 

 vindictiveness proves their want of argument, and if their foundation was 

 safe they would not be writing their own burlesque. 



It is to vegetable physiology and experiment that we must go for proof, 

 and Mr. Meehan has done nothing more, neither did he in the beginning 

 record anything but a simple explanation of the results of his own experi- 

 ence and conviction, founded upon the above basis, and my own observa- 

 tions bring me to the same conclusion. In proof of these statements, allow 

 me to record the progress in blossoming of a bed of strawberries for the 

 last three years at this place. The variety was obtained from a reliable 

 source for Hovey's Seedling, but for the present purpose it matters not 

 what the kind is, I only wish to show that sexual fixedness is not so certain 

 as our friends would have us believe, but under certain influences is likely 

 to alter. During the season of 1850, this bed of strawberries did not suf- 

 fer from drought, nor much by scorching from the sun, and the season after, " 

 viz. 1851, the blossoms were nearly all hermaphrodite, during the same 

 summer they were much injured by drought, the growth was more stunted, 

 and the season after (1852) they were all pistillate without exception, this 

 same summer the growth was somewhat less injured by dry weather, and 

 the last season (1853) there was at commencement of blooming, a more than 

 equal share of hermaphrodite blossoms, as blossoming advanced the pistil- 

 late became more numerous until at last nearly all were so, during this time 

 the weather became very scorching and they were purposely left unwatercd. 

 I had ocular demonstration of these various changes, which were watched 

 with much interest. 



Now let us turn to a physiological view of this same subject. The first 

 movement of vegetable action in spring is, merely a development of those 



