THE CULTIVATOR. 
257 
1846, 
THE STRAWBERRY—FERTILE AND BARREN FLOW¬ 
ERS.—Fig. 69. 
It often happens, where accurate experiments take 
strongly opposite grounds in theory, that (( both are 
right, and both are wrong.” Three opinions appear to 
Have been adopted relative to the character of the straw¬ 
berry, or of certain highly improved varieties; one is, 
that there are staminate or barren plants, which are ab¬ 
solutely necessary to the fertilization of the pistillate 
ones; this opinion is held by N. Long worth and others 
of Cincinnati. A second opinion regards these stami¬ 
nate plants as wholly useless, and as cumberers of the 
ground, and should therefore be all rooted out; this is 
held by A. McIntosh of Cleveland. A third opinion, 
held by A. J. Downing, C. M. Hovey and others, is in¬ 
termediate between the two others, and regards sterility, 
not as an essential, but as an induced character, and that, 
though some varieties may be increased in fruitfulness 
by the proximity of staminate plants, that the latter 
are not always essential to the perfection of the fruit. 
The writer has lately made some microscopic exami¬ 
nations, with an achromatic instrument of the best con¬ 
struction, with a view to elicit light on the subject, the 
results of which may possibly be interesting to culti¬ 
vators. Three varieties were selected,—Hovey’s Seed¬ 
ling, usually but erroneously regarded as destitute of 
stamens, and as entirely pistillate; the Dundee, in which 
the stamens are small, but readily observed; and the 
large Early Scarlet, where the stamens are large, fully 
developed, and very conspicuous. The above figures | 
represent magnified views of portions of the flowers of 
these three varieties. In Hovey’s Seedling, the stamens, 
which, as in all other flowers of this natural order, ad¬ 
here to the inner rim of the calyx, are so short, that 
they are entirely hid by the mass of longer pistils. 
They are evidently imperfect and flattened, partaking 
thus, in a slight degree, the character of the petals of 
a double flower. The figure represents a portion of the 
germs with their surmounting pistils on the left, and 
one of the sepals of the calyx with the adhering sta¬ 
mens, on the right. In the second figure, representing 
the Dundee, the stamens are much more perfect; and in 
the Early Scarlet, shown by the third figure, they are 
very large and distinct, and contrast strongly with the 
first. 
To ascertain if the anthers of Hovey’s Seedling pos¬ 
sessed any fertilizing power, many careful observations 
were made with a compound achromatic microscope, 
with the best constructed sextuple object glasses. From 
some of the anthers, no pollen (or fertilizing dust) was 
obtained; they, however, usually afforded a very small 
quantity; and their fertilizing power appears to be 
slowly developed, as they burst and discharge the mi¬ 
nute portions they contain, in most cases, about the 
time or after the petals have fallen. The anthers of the 
Dundee, afforded pollen in much greater quantities; and 
the Early Scarlet yielded it in profuse abundance. It 
may be proper to remark, that from the comparative 
smallness of the stamens in the Dundee, it would be 
pronounced by a superficial observer, as pistillate only. 
The Early Scarlet was merely taken as a representative 
of several other varieties possessing perfect flowers, as 
the Elton, Ross Phoenix, and Alpines. The Duke of 
Kent was frequently found with as imperfect stamens as 
Hovey’s, and again with as perfect flowers as any 
others. 
A single experiment was tried, in cultivation, with 
Hovey’s Seedling. A bed of this variety, twelve feet 
from a bed of the Early Scarlet, has, in most cases, per¬ 
fect and well formed fruit. Single plants had been also 
placed at distances from the first bed, of five, nine, and 
twelve rods respectively; on all these , equally, the 
fruit is very evidently more imperfect, most of the 
berries being only partially developed from imperfect 
fertilization, and but few fully formed and well filled to 
be found. These were all in a newly planted field, far 
away from any other strawberries. This experiment, 
so far as it goes, (with the microscopic examinations,) 
tends to show, that though Hovey’s Seedling may some¬ 
times fertilize itself, yet the process is greatly facili¬ 
tated by nearness to other strongly staminate varieties; 
but to be more satisfactory, the flowers should have 
been covered with a gauze-covered frame, so as per¬ 
fectly to exclude the bees. In the present instance, no 
bees were ever noticed on any of the flowers. 
J. J. T. 
MANUFACTURE OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES. 
The Rochester Democrat notices Mr. John A. 
Pitts’ factory for the manufacture of various kinds of 
agricultural machinery. He has lately erected a new 
building, which, it is said, is three stories high, 120 
feet long, 33 feet deep, with a rear 90 feet in length, 
the whole occupied with the various branches of the 
works, which are propelled by steam. Twenty-seven 
men are at present employed, and with the facilities 
afforded, are capable, it is said, of turning out $30,000 
worth of machinery in a year. The principal machines 
at present made here, are Pitt’s threshing machine and 
separator, superior horse power, and Pitt’s corn and 
cob mills. 
These machines are well known and highly valued. 
We have several times spoken of them in the Cultiva¬ 
tor, and we are glad to find that the demand for them 
is such, that the ingenious inventors, (Messrs. J. A. & 
H. A. Pitts,) are likely to be rewarded for the im¬ 
mense expense which we know they have incurred in 
bringing them to perfection. Some valuable improve¬ 
ments are said to have been added lately to the thresh¬ 
ing-machine and separator. It is said to be capable of 
thrashing and cleaning for market, between four and 
five hundred bushels of grain per day. 
WEEDS—HINT FOR THE SEASON. 
A very common instance of neglect at this season 
of the year, and through the middle and latter part of 
summer, is the omission of the continued destruction 
of weeds. Corn, potatoes, ruta bagas, carrots, and 
other hoed crops, usually receive one or two good 
dressings with the hoe and cultivator early in the sea¬ 
son, and are afterwards neglected. How many fields 
of corn, exhibit in autumn, when the crop is cut up and 
cleared off, a smooth clean surface, like a newly 
ploughed field, as they ought to ? instead of which, we 
far more frequently see half a ton of luxuriant weeds 
to the acre. 
The old saying is, “one year’s seeding will make five 
year’s weeding.” But there is another reason why 
weeds should never be suffered to go to seed. The ex¬ 
haustion caused by growing vegetables, which are des¬ 
troyed on the surface, and not buried in the soil, every 
one knows; but the exhaustion produced by the forma 
