Page:The family kitchen gardener - containing plain and accurate descriptions of all the different species and varieties of culinary vegetables (IA familykitchengar56buis).pdf/220

 Ross’ Phanix.—A staminate plant, producing a crop when planted by itself. Fruit very large, and frequently of a coxcomb-shape; of a dark red color, with a smooth, polished surface. Flesh firm, and of a very rich flavor, with a delightful aroma. Ripened last year about the 26th of May.

Monthly Copii.—This variety of the Alpine Strawberry is an improvement on the old sort. The fruit is larger, of a finer flavor, and produces copiously the whole year, and is veritably a monthly Strawberry.

There are several varieties recently produced from seeds in this vicinity, and other parts of the country, which will entirely supplant every foreign sort; and we doubt not may even displace some of those we have named, though they are not yet fully proven.

.—Every person who has any partiality for this fruit, that can devote a few hours to their culture in their season, should sow the seeds of the very best kinds any time from August to April, in pots of light earth; water them regularly, and they will be above ground in four or five weeks. After they have attained a few leaves to each, plant them into a piece of rich ground in the garden, about twenty inches apart. The second season they will produce fruit to prove their merits. The seed is obtained by drying the ripe fruit and washing the flesh from the seeds, which are all on the outside of the berry; these seeds, when perfectly dry, will keep three years. Flowers that have an entirely green centre are called female, or pistilate—those that have a great many yellow stamens are called male, or barren plants—those that have only a portion of stamens around the base of the green, conical centre of the flower, are called staminate or perfect blossoms.

.—All admit that the best soil for this fruit is a deep, light, rich loam, if not naturally deep to be made so by trenching. Rich it must be, if large and good fruit is required: