124 



V>^EEDS AND USEFUL PLANTo, 



Obs. Varieties of this and of other species (as F. elatior, Ehrh. and F. 

 Chilensis, Ehrh.), and probably hybrids, have been produced by long 

 cultivation ; the list of those kinds that have been found valuable either 

 for size, flavor or productiveness, is a long one, and is yearly increased 

 by the efforts of cultivators to improve on the already established varie- 

 ties. For several years past the so-called " strawberry question," has 

 occupied a large share of attention from fruit-growers and writere on 

 horticulture, — the question involving the nature of the plant ; whether it 

 was hermaphrodite or dioecious, whether the pistillate varieties changed 

 to staminate, &c. These points have been discussed at great length, and 

 to say the least, with earnestness. The following are the conclusions 

 arrived at by the Horticultural Society of Cincinnati, and published as 

 the result of a long series of careful examinations. 



" Wild or cultivated, the strawberry presents, in its varieties, four dis- 

 tinct forms or characters of inflorescence. 



1st. Those called pistillate, from the fact that the stamens are abortive, 

 and rarely to be found without a dissection of the flower. These re- 

 quire extrinsic impregnation. 



2d. Those called staminate, which are perfectly destitute of even the 

 rudiments of pistils, and are necessarily fruitless. 



3d. Those called Hermo/phrodite or perfect, having both sets of organs, 

 stamens and pistils, apparently well developed. These are not generally 

 good and certain bearers, as we should expect them to be. With few 

 exceptions they bear poorly, owing to some unobserved defect, probably 

 in the pistils. One-tenth of their flowers, generally produce perfect and 

 often very large berries. 



4th. A rare class — a sort of subdivision of the preceding — has not only 

 hermaphrodite flowers, but also some on the same truss that are of a pis- 

 tillate character ; and sometimes, in the same plant, a truss will be seen 

 on which all the flowers are pistillate." 



Individual plants are frequently to be found, in strawberry beds, in 

 which the flowers are all abortive, — the stamens having the appearance 

 of coarse blighted monstrosities — the pistils abortive — and the recepta- 

 cle failing to enlarge. The Gardeners call these male plants, — and insist 

 that their presence is absolutely indispensable, to insure a crop of fruit. 

 But the flowers in question, are palpably neutral, and nothing more than 

 blights. Although the true fruit of this plant consists of mere dry specks, 

 or bony particles {i. e. the minute akenes), scattered over the surface of 

 the enlarged receptacle, — yet the receptacle itself furnishes a pulpy sub- 

 stitute of the most delicious character. As it is only the receptacle and 

 not the true fruit for which the strawberry is cultivated, the question 

 has been raised, whether this enlargement of the receptacle may not take 

 place, without the ovules being fertilized. Mr. G. W. Huntsman, of 

 Flushing, L. I., gives in " Pardee's Complete Manual for the Cultivation 

 of the Strawberry,'' (a valuable work for the growers of the fruit), an 

 account of some experiments, which go to show that unless the ovules 

 are impregnated, the receptacle fails to enlarge. He enclosed some 



