The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-07-11
The StIaWberfy.

The Strawberry.
Nicholas Longworth, of Cincinnati, in
letter to the Southern Cultivation, gives an
he made the discoveries which have led to
such eminent success in the cultivation of
this plant. He says, "There are some wise
Eastern and Western botansts who say,
There are no pure staminate or pistillate
plants, although q man half blind can dis
tinguish the plants at the distance Of ten or
fifteen feet At an early day We bad male
and female plants"
He had an eighth of an acre Of strawber-
ries, vet had to 60 to market to buy fruit OF
an illiterate market woman, who never read
in her life. but raised five times as much
fruit on the same space of ground, as others
could. She thinned out the plants and
threw them over the fence into the street
Her neighbors, aware Of her success, picked
up the cast away plants and planted them;
they bore never q single berry. The old
woman's object Was to deceive them. twas
the male strawberries, whose blossoms were
largest. that the old woman threw over the
fence, keeping just gentlemen enough IN the
bed for the ladies'
Mr.. L. Was rijiculed because he was green
enough to believe in the old woman's sexual
character Of the plants and published them.
But the market gardeners, who were aware
of her success, became converts, and the
fruit went down to one-third its former price.
From seed, nearly all are pure male or fe-
male plants. A portion perfect in male or
eans, (stamens,) and more or less perfect in
female organs, (pistols,) and bear more or
less perfect fruit, more or less deformed ones,
and more or less entirely barren. These,
hermaphrodites, were tire only kind known
in Europe, till, enlighted by our market wo-
man, for, rs the great Linn@us and his fol-
lowers held the doctrine, wise men could
not be expected to believe an ignorant mar
ket woman wiser than themselves.
Mr.. L. talks Of his seedlings, the Prolific,
AcAvoy's Superior. and the Extra Red:
"The first is hermaphrodite and the only
plant we have ever seen that bears full
crop of large, perfect fruit. 1t not only is
attentive to its own flowers, but to all flowers
in its vicinity, and pistillate plants require
no other impregnator in the garden. The
males, having no children to attend to, run
at random. and soon kick all the women out
Of bed II the Prolific should do this, the
cultivator would sustain no loss. no pis-
tillate is as vigorous q grower. None bears
larger crop or larger fruit.
"McAvoy's Superior I deem the best Of
u
She is not willing to be one Of the hundred
wives, even to the head priestess. If far
separated from plants with male organs
many berries are imperfect I should plant
every third row with the Prolific. Many
deem q rich. loose loan hest for strawber-
ries I mix with my rich garden mould
one-half Of the poorest and stiffest clay
can find. The result is, plants Of much
larger growth that stand dry weather, bear
more and larger fruit, and the plants are
never thrown out Of the ground IN the spring
when the ground thaws.
"The Extra Red is not equal to the Pro.
life and Superior in quality, requiring more
sugar. The fruit is all of good size, of great
beauty of color, and an immense bearer, and
very valuable as a market fruit
9TH: Superior, If taken to market. re-
auires 10 be taken with care. as the fruit is
not firm. There are hut few Of these seed
lings vet cultivated for market. as they are
q recent production, and seldom, If ever.
seen in market. as il is sold by Mr. Heath
and others, and private families. at an extra
price Mr.. McAvoy. Mr.. Schneike, Mr.. Er-
nest, Mr. Jackson, Mr.. Pentard. and Mr..
Eeiby. and many other gardeners have them
for sale
1.-THE Prolific, the Superior, and the Extra
Red, were from seed raised by impreGnat-
ing H,vey's Seeding with the largest Eng
lish hermaphrodite. McAvoy planted the
seed, and gave some Of the plants by my
direction, to my tenant, Mr.. Schneike. The
Prolific was among great number Of plants
sent him by McAvoy, and was first known
as Schneike's Seeding.
"A premium was offered bv our Horti-
cultural Society for Seeding Pistillate, su-
psrior t. Hovey's Pistillate, or any other
pistiIlate. Of $50. and after full test, it was
awarded to Mr.. McAvoy."
Mr.. L. SAYS he has seen berries Of the
Prolific and Superior that measured six
inches