392 The Strawberry Question. 
owing to the drenching it receives, and which requires years to 
reattain its accustomed fertility, so that the inhabitants have 
been compelled to plant fruit trees to evade the loss produced by 
this cause. ' 
Since the influence of rain is so very sensible upon vegetation, 
it would be an interesting and useful, though slight labor, for the 
agriculturist to keep his rain guage, and record the quantity of 
rain that it has designated through the year, together with the 
state of fertility, infertility, drouth or moisture of his land, by 
which means he might have in advance some conjecture of the 
probable state of his crops the ensuing season; and as he marked 
each inch that fell, could trace from previous observations its 
probable effects upon his grain or fields 
The quantity of rain that falls upon the earth has a great in- 
fluence upon the temperature of the district in which it falls, 
modifying the heat to a great extent, and preventing an extreme 
elevation of temperature, and through this it exerts another in- 
fluence upon vegetation in connection with the proper solution of 
matter contained in the soil. 
West Dresden, Jlugust, 1848. 
Erratum. — In historical remarljs on the settlement of the Genesee country, page 357, line 4ih 
from toir, fur " proprieties" read "propensities." 
THE STRAWBERRY QUESTION. 
BY WM. R. PRINCE. 
After perusing various articles that have recently appeared 
upon the " Strawberiy Question," and especially the lengthy 
article by Mr. Downing, in the August number of the Horticultu- 
rist, I recalled to mind an oriental tale, which may serve " to de- 
fine my position." It is related that a certain prince, desiring to 
test the depth of the philosophy of the various pretenders who 
Avere continually pressing their so called axioms upon him, pro- 
pounded for their solution the following question: What is the 
reason that a vessel filled brim full of water will not run over if a 
fish is put in it? All but one of the philosophers immediately set 
their wits to work to solve this princely problem, and numerous 
were the reasons advanced, which were so satisfactory in them- 
selves, that although each had adopted different views as to the 
cause, yet each one was fully convinced that he had arrived at a 
most satisfactory and scientific solution. These responses were 
all delivered to the prince, but he marvelled that one of the philo- 
sophers had withheld his answer, and on questioning him as to 
