HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 55 



My statement about Median's using information thathe obtained from Dr. 

 Darlington in conversation, $c, from which he composed his article to Bos- 

 ton, I can show to be the fact — and all wriggling about that I will put an end 

 to. Yours, truly, Wm. R. Prince. 



Cincinnati, Jan. 20, 1854. 



Mr. Hanson : — Mr. Meehan's first declaration that he could by a change 

 of heat and exposure make a pistillate plant bring out some of the stamens, 

 I was not prepared to say was impossible, for I have never seen a pistillate 

 blossom that had not defective stamens. Bat I did believe he erred, for I 

 believed he had a mixture of hermaphrodite plants with his pistillates. But 

 when from the runners of a pure pistillate he produced an equal portion of 

 staminate and pistillate plants, I deemed it an impossibility. For twenty 

 years I kept a bed of pure pistillate Hudsons, to make new beds from, se- 

 parate from all others, and never had a single fruit, or a runner to change 

 its character. But, Mr. Meehan is now left in the back ground, so far, that 

 he will not venture to sustain those who come to the rescue. A brother 

 editor of yours, had all his beds of Hovey's pistillate change their sexual 

 character. A correspondent of your journal has his beds change their sex- 

 ual character daily, from greater or less heat in the weather, and greater or 

 less moisture. Your doctrine is that a "pistillate plant is a monstrosity, 

 and will labor in heat and cold, wet and dry weather to produce perfect 

 blossoms." My doctrine is, for I know it from a life of experience, that in 

 their natural state, in our fields and prairies, pure staminates and pistillates 

 abound ; and that hermaphrodites are scarce. That when I have raised 

 thousands of plants from seed, nearly all were pure pistillates or stami- 

 nates. I prefer facts and years of experience, vouched for by an illiterate 

 market woman, to the opinions of the botanists that you recommend me 

 read. You might have included the great Linnseus in your list. It is 

 true that Mr. Elder is down on you rough-shod in your present number. 

 He is I presume a Quaker, and bound to speak plain. I regret that your 

 Christian feelings did not enable you to bear his strong arguments with pa- 

 tience. That in the moment of excitement you should even have pounced 

 down rough-shod on me, I bear with patience, for I know that the hour 

 of your destiny is at hand, when you will change your opinions, and ac- 

 knowledge your error. Till then all that I ask of you is, that you will 

 publish an article which you will find in Buchanan's Treatise on the grape f 

 on the strawberry, from as able a botanist as any of those you refer to, and 

 who has for years not only read these authors of yours, but devoted his at- 

 tention to the cultivation of the plant, and its sexual character, whether 



