Transact.' volume 6 page 210.), and was consequently named by Duchesne dioica; but it frequently produces hermaphrodites; and Lindley (10/115. 'Gardener's Chronicle' 1847 page 539.), by propagating such plants by runners, at the same time destroying the males, soon raised a self- prolific stock. The other species often showed a tendency towards an imperfect separation of the sexes, as I have noticed with plants forced in a hot-house. Several English varieties, which in this country are free from any such tendency, when cultivated in rich soils under the climate of North America (10/116. For the several statements with respect to the American strawberries see Downing 'Fruits' page 524; 'Gardener's Chronicle' 1843 page 188; 1847 page 539; 1861 page 717.) commonly produce plants with separate sexes. Thus a whole acre of Keen's Seedlings in the United States has been observed to be almost sterile from the absence of male flowers; but the more general rule is, that the male plants overrun the females. Some members of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, especially appointed to investigate this subject, report that "few varieties have the flowers perfect in both sexual organs," etc. The most successful cultivators in Ohio plant for every seven rows of "pistillata," or female plants, one row of hermaphrodites, which afford pollen for both kinds; but the hermaphrodites, owing to their expenditure in the production of pollen, bear less fruit than the female plants.
The varieties differ in constitution. Some of our best English kinds, such as Keen's Seedlings, are too tender for certain parts of North America, where other English and many American varieties succeed perfectly. That splendid fruit, the British Queen, can be cultivated but in few places either in England or France: but this apparently depends more on the nature of the soil than on the climate; a famous gardener says that "no mortal could grow the British Queen at Shrubland Park unless the whole nature of the soil was altered." (10/117. Mr. D. Beaton in 'Cottage Gardener' 1860 page 86. See also 'Cottage Gardener' 1855 page 88 and many other authorities. For the Continent see F. Gloede in 'Gardener's Chronicle' 1862 page 1053.) La Constantine is one of the hardiest kinds, and can withstand Russian winters, but it is easily burnt by the sun, so that it will not succeed in certain soils either in England or the United States. (10/118. Rev. W.F. Radclyffe in 'Journal of Hort.' March 14, 1865 page 207.) The Filbert Pine Strawberry "requires more water than any other variety; and if the plants once suffer from drought, they will do little or no good afterwards." (10/119. Mr. H. Doubleday in 'Gardener's Chronicle' 1862 page 1101.) Cuthill's Black Prince Strawberry evinces a singular tendency to mildew; no less than six cases have been recorded of this variety suffering severely, whilst other varieties growing close by, and treated in exactly the same manner, were not at all infested by this fungus. (10/120. 'Gardener's Chronicle' 1854 page 254.) The time of maturity differs much in the different varieties: some belonging to the wood or alpine section produce a succession of crops throughout the summer.
GOOSEBERRY (Ribes grossularia).
No one, I believe, has hitherto doubted that all the cultivated kinds are sprung from the wild plant bearing this name, which is common in Central and Northern Europe; therefore it will be desirable briefly to specify all the points, though not very important, which have varied. If it be admitted that these differences are due to culture, authors perhaps will not be so ready to assume the existence of a large number of unknown wild parent- stocks for our other cultivated plants. The gooseberry is not alluded to by writers of the classical period. Turner mentions it in 1573, and Parkinson specifies eight varieties in 1629; the Catalogue of the Horticultural Society for 1842 gives 149 varieties, and the lists of the Lancashire nurserymen are said to include above 300 names. (10/121. Loudon's 'Encyclop.