THE STRAWBERRY. 



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blossoms. The first of these they call staminate (or male), from the 

 stamens being chiefly developed. The second they call hermaphrodite (or 

 perfect), from their having both stamens and pistils developed. The third 

 are called pistillate (or female), from the pistils being chiefly developed. 



The first class really does not exist among cultivated varieties, be- 

 cause a pure male variety, or one producing only male flowers, cannot 

 bear fruit. 



In planting strawberry beds it is important, therefore, to the cultiva- 

 tor to know which are the perfect, or hermaphrodite, and which are the 

 pistillate varieties — as they are found to be permanent in these cha- 

 racters. We have accordingly designated these traits in the descriptions 

 of the varieties which follow. 



Upon the relative proportion of hermaphrodites, cultivators are not 

 absolutely agreed. Some considering one plant of a hermaphrodite 

 sufficient to* impregnate ten or twelve pistillates • others again set 

 twenty pjistillates to one. The hermaphrodite, or perfect flowering 

 j sorts, require no special care of this kind, and are generally preferred by 

 | planters, and are considered fully as productive as an entire pistillate, 

 even when most advantageously impregnated. 



STRAWBERRY BLOSSOMS. 



Perfect or Hermaphrodite blossom. Pistillate blossom. 



Nothing is easier than to distinguish the two classes of strawberries- 

 when in blossom. In the Hermaphrodite, the long yellow anthers (a) T bear- 

 ing the fine dust or pollen, are abundant. In the pistillate, only the cluster 

 of pistils (b), looking like a very minute green strawberry, is visible 

 (that is, to the common observer, for the male organs are merely rudi- 

 mentary, and not developed), while the perfect, or hermaphrodite flower,, 

 as seen in the drawing, has both stamens and pistils developed. 



Varieties. 



The varieties of this fruit are very numerous, indeed quite unnecessa- 

 rily so for all useful purposes. They were formerly divided into classes, 

 designated as the pine and scarlet, but the introductions of late years 

 have become so intermingled as to make reference thereto of no prac- 

 tical value, if indeed it can be done correctly. 



The characters of the flowers corresponding with the above are noted 

 in the text by the words Hermaphrodite and Pistillate. 



As before remarked, the varieties of the Strawberry are very nume- 

 rous. They are also comparatively evanescent. We have therefore 

 omitted to name or describe many sorts once recorded, because of a 

 doubt as to their present existence. Again, others have perhaps only a 



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