Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-04-03
AG RICULTURAl.
From Do~nisg's HoriieaLnia.
A Few Notes on the Strawbcrry

CIV NOteS Oh tOc SlfaWDcrfy.
Since brief article | sent to the Hort
cnlturist for December appeared, have
received numerous letters of interest and in
curry on the nature and culture ofthe straw
berry, from amateurs, both in this State and
New England, and it has occurred to me
that some Of our unsettled queries on the
subject might be appropriately referred to
the public through your columns.
First. What varieties Of the strawberry
are uniformly reliable in our variations Of
soil and climate! An important inquiry.
truly. Are there any kinds which will
prove as reliable as the Rhode Island Green
ing, or Early Harvest Apple, or White
Doyennc Pear, or Crawford's Early Peach
for New York? That some kinds are vast
~ more certain of a crop than others, any
observer will admit. Among our finest
new berries, can we not say that Burr's
New Pine is as reliable for crop in all
places in our State as the Rhode Island
Greening: But what others have been so
Eenorslly and widely tested and proved
satisfactory. Some will say the Large
Early Scarlet, but our friends from Gene
va assure me that my remarks with regard
to this variety hold true there; they say "the
amount offruit is small and very transient"
have hope that Black Prince will prove
reliable everywhere, but it perhaps has not
hecn sufficiently tested. Hovey's is very
tickle in many places. Many other kinds
should be tested everywhere, end so tested
that their failure shall not be caused by
neglect.
Second. Is the flavor of strawberries
materially changed by different locations
and soils! The testimony of men of taste
in different places seem to indicate this
II not SO, why does Mr. Downing pro
nounce the Black Prince ofthe highest fla
vor, while our friends in Rochester pro-
nounce it insipid or poor favors 1t is
quite certain that both parties know well
what constitutes superiorh the straw
berry. 1t appears quite probable, there
fore, that the Black Prince has degenerated
from Mr.. Downing's garden, or it has been
nniavorably affected by soil or climate at
the West. In Palmyra we do not call
Black Prince. Hovcy's, &c, poor flavor,
siill VIC cannot compare them with the de-
licious flavor of Burr's New Pine, Swain
stone Seeding, &c.
Isit after all necessary, in order to pro-
ductveness, to mingle staminatc with pis-
tillatc plants! Itwould neither be modest
or sensible in me to express negative to
this question, when such distinguished cul-
tivators as Downing and Longw worth, Thorn
as and Barry have stated it otherwise; and
yet, after all, some appearances in the re-
cent conduct of Hovey's Seeding puzzle
me. III am not mistaken, Thompson of
London and Hogg of New York incline to
n contrary opinion. 1t is quite certain that
the strawberry is very tickle plant, and
how much allowance must be made for this
habit l cannot determine. I have taken
an interest in the strawberry for twelve or
fifteen years past, and have often observed
Hovey's refuse to bear when surrounded
by staminates, while on the other hand I
have certainly several times seen them with
astonishing crops Of fruit when could de-
tcct no staminates in their vicinity, and
was assured by the cultivators there was
hone. However, all this may be explained
by other causes, and the settled theory re-
man: and yet am anxious to see still fur
Their and more careful experiments. have
often seen new bed of Strawberries bear
largely the first year offruiting, and obsti-
nately refuse to bear ever afterward, and
vicevcrsa. Sometimes l could account for
such sterility by dry season, but at other
times l could find no such apology for the
barrenncss. 81 think it desirable to choose
runners from healthy, productive plants"
says one of our most distinguished amateur
florists. 81 have not allowed a single or
semi-doublc aster to seed in my garden in
twenty-five years; as soon as one of that
character blossoms l pull it up" Acting
on this plan with the strawberry, / am con
WINGED our best kinds will uniformly Weld
large crops. At an expense of only one
dollar IN preparing the bed and keeping il,
clean, have supplied my family with one
to two quarts per day for more than three
weeks Of this most delicious fruit. have
IN my travels accumulated some twenty
three kinds In my garden beside those
have discarded with which am expert
mcnting, and am to add some six or eight
kinds more m the spring for the same pur-
pose. l cannot convey to your readers
how much am entertained ito see this
numerous family Of beauties come out for
the first time, as the court language isl
for in the language Of venerable amateur
in the strawberry field, whose enthusiastic
devotion to it makes him, as you see, quite
young again. elegantly say, "The plant is
itself, one of the most beautiful In nature
beautiful in its foliage, beautiful in nsblos-
som, and, above all, in its fruit. Every
variety shows us some new form of beau
fY.& Ihfrss IL N charm IN cfr,xr b<,x~,, 81