412 ON THE PRACTICABILITY OF FECUNDATING FLOWERS. 
culture. It seems that either the one or the other of them produce 
strong runners; and these being invariably preferred by the planter, 
the one sort only predominates in the new plantations, and hence 
disappointment follows. 
We are in doubt which it is that sends out the strongest offsets, and 
to which we have said a preference is given by the planter, because we 
have in our eye a pretty large bed of this strawberry, every one of 
which are what are called females, living,” as the owner expressed 
himself, “ in single blessedness.” The fruit Avere all set, but no larger 
than peas; and of this size they remained till they Avithered aAvay. At 
the ‘other end of the same garden there is another bed of the same 
variety, of Avhich a great majority are also females ; but about the 
centre of this bed there stood, by accident, one or two male plants, 
and round them there Avas a fair sprinkling of fully swelled fruit; 
and these were the only return the owner had from his tAvo large beds. 
Their single blessedness ” is, hoAvever, now at an end, because a 
parcel of the other sex has been lately distributed among them, and 
full proof of the union Avill be seen next year. 
Were straAvberries like the filbert, any other variety of the former 
intermixed Avith the sterile plants, Avould make all fertile; but those 
avIio have tried the experiment, say that the sexes must be of the same 
variety. In the instance alluded to, Keen’s Seedling and Wilmot’s 
Superb Avere both bearing profusely, and in the near neighbourhood of 
the barren Hautbois. All Avere Avell supplied Avith Avater while in 
floAver, so that no difference could happen on that score. Fifty years 
ago, there Avas much less complaint of this defect of the Hautbois than 
there is noAv; but as the same thing happens in other plants not 
debilitated by cultivation, there can be no doubt of the fact. 
But, again, there are some other valuable fruit-trees Avhich are shy 
bearers, and are almost ahvays barren, notAvithstanding they often shoAv 
plenty of bloom. The Gansel’s Bergamot pear is one of those, seldom 
bearing till it is aged, and then only at the extremities of the branches, 
Avhere the strongest flowers are borne. It has been long suspected 
that the bloom is somehow defective, and that it needs assistance from 
the pollen of other sorts: that of the SAvan’s Egg has been recom¬ 
mended, and it is Avell Avorth a trial. Barrenness of fruit-trees is 
usually attributed to a bad soil, or unfavourable situation, and this is 
often true ; but Avhere both soil and situation are knoAvn to be good (as 
shoAvn by the fruitfulness of others), and there are no ostensible signs 
of debility about the tree, it groAving moderately, and floAveriug Avell, 
and yet yielding no fruit, suspicion may be entertained that some part 
of the fructiferous organisation is imperfect, and attention should be 
