WE are just closing another highly favorable season of that beautiful and delicious fruit - the strawberry. The skies and the genial rains have been propitious indeed, and in no previous season have my petted vines yielded larger or more abundant fruit. More than twenty varieties in my garden presented me with specimens measuring four, and some six inches in circumference.

I particularly desired a favorable season, because I had quite a number of new varieties to test side by side with other standard kinds - and in order thereunto, had planted in the first place, on the 12th July last, a strong healthy plant of some thirty varieties, interspersed with an occasional plant of New Pine, Hovey's, etc., on a long bed running through a part of my garden - placing the plants about two feet apart. I then placed a few hills of the same varieties in rows in other parts of the garden, while the old plants, with a few runners attached, remained in masses around the original stools, so that each variety had a triple trial. My garden, small as it is, comprises in different parts of it, a light sandy loam, a coarse gravel loam, (where it is even stony,) and a stiff clay. It has not been manured, or even trenched, within five years, with the exception of two small beds as an experiment, which was no benefit - and yet in other soils I would manure freely, and trench deeply at right times, if needed, and most soils would need both.

I was careful to water and fertilize the plants on trial, alike in all respects, and for a fertilizer this spring, I used one pound each of sulphate of potash, nitrate or carbonate of soda, one-quarter pound sulphate of ammonia, together with say two pounds superphosphate of lime, and two pounds guano, in a solution with thirty gallons water - applied once in ten days or two weeks, until in flower, as last year.

The whole were mulched with tan-bark on setting out, and all the plants flourished, unchecked from any cause. Allow me to note some particulars of the different varieties.

1. Burr's New Pine has maintained with me its high reputation as a family fruit. All my visitors have united with me in giving it the preference in flavor, over all others, not excepting Swainstone Seedling, British Queen, etc. It has also borne largely, and the fruit has been good size, occasional specimens over four inches; besides we picked ripe fruit of this variety June 6, which was three or four days earlier than the Large Early Scarlet, Alice Maud, or any other variety in my grounds, and it supplied my table proportionably early, and this too without any coaxing.

2. Hovey's Seedling has done nobly, having borne specimens of the largest fruit again on my grounds, and it has also yielded good crops.

3. Black Prince has again borne finely, and exhibited beautiful specimens of large fruit. Occasionally I have found a berry which proved to be of the most exquisite flavor, but the majority of them have remained watery, and deficient in flavor. The largest, finest ones in appearance, were often the most deficient in flavor.

4. Jenny's Seedling has borne remarkably well for that variety, rather exceeding Hovey's in quantity, and only slightly below it in size - while it has proved, when fully ripe, to be of very high flavor - very juicy and sprightly.

5. Monroe Scarlet, one of Ellwanger & Barry's seedlings, has this season proved to be, under three separate trials, the largest bearer on my grounds. The plant on my single bed produced eighty large size berries on five long foot stalks - the largest berry measuring four and three-fourth inches, but all were of fine size. The flavor was universally pronounced good. I have an expectation this will prove a valuable variety. Last year it bore well under unfavorable circumstances.

6. Climax Scarlet, another seedling as above, bore very well, and the berries were of a higher flavor still, although fewer in number, and smaller in size.

7. Oeneaee Seedling, (s)* another of E. & B.'s new seedlings, produced fruit of great beauty, but it did not with me equal in quantity, nor surpass in flavor, their Monroe Scarlet.

8. Montevideo Pine,(a) one of Pbings's seedlings, did not equal this year in size or flavor, my expectations; perhaps it may do better another year.

9. Charlotte, another of Prince's, is one of fair size - a fair bearer on short foot stalks, and of delicious flavor.

10. Lizzie Randolph, another of Prince's, is described in his catalogue as " averaging larger than Hovey's, round and very productive;" all this it has actually done the past season in my grounds, in all the three separate tests. Hovey's has given single specimens larger than Lizzie, and yet the average has been the other way; but on the point of flavor, Lizzie is decidedly below Hovey.

11,12 and 13. Prince's Primordean, (a) Estelle, and Cornucopia - neither have answered the purpose at all this year. They may do better another year.

14. Primate (a) has done somewhat better. . 15. Profuse Scarlet (a) has borne a good supply of fine flavored fruit, resembling the Large Early Scarlet.

16,17 and 18. Richardson Cambridge, (a) Early and Late, have all done very well: the largest and highest flavored being the late. I am not quite satisfied that either of these have any superior qualities over other varieties which excel in size or flavor. We shall see.

19. Princess Alice Maud (a) has again borne tolerably early and well, and is also of good size.

20. Lord Spencer, (a) notwithstanding its very agreeable flavor, has so degenerated in size and productiveness, that I discard it.

21. Roseberry; (a) 22. Miller's Seedling; (a) 23. Wild Strawberry; (a ) 24. While Seedling; (a) 25. Stoddard's Seedling, (a) and some others, I discard for same reason.

26. Crimson Cone, (a)† although quite acid without sugar, yet its productiveness and beauty render it quite desirable.

27. Large Early Scarlet (a) has borne larger and more fruit with me this season, than ever before. It is a good staminate to fertilize others.

28. Boston Pine (a) has done nobly this season.

20. Royal Scarlet (a) has borne quite a fair number of clusters of beautiful fruit, but alas, deficient in flavor, and is rejected.

30. Rival Hudson is one of the most productive market fruits.

31. Willey has borne next in quantity to Monroe Scarlet - yet I am not sure but it may be a competitor for productiveness; although of only medium size, yet it bears often sixty and seventy, and occasionally many more good berries, to a plant, and the fruit is of pleasant sprightly flavor, and hard for market.

32. Prince of Orleans, (a) bears very well under ordinary cultivation - only medium size, tender, rather pleasant flavor, and bears longer than usual.

• All the sorts marked (s) hare staminate blossoms - those not marked have pistillats. † Crimson Cone bears pistillate flowers - probably an error. Ed.

33. Swainstone Seedling (s) has borne freely, and is a very rich and aromatic fruit, yet not so agreeable flavor as some other varieties.

34. British Queen. (s) I am not yet able to bring up the size of this fine fruit to compete with our English friends over the water - neither does it as yet bear well. I will try to do better with it another year.

35. French Hautboy, (s) like common Hautboy, a profuse bearer, with its peculiar flavor.

36. 37, 38 and 39, are McAvoy's Superior, Longworth's Prolific, (a) Moyamensing Pine, and Walker's Seedling; (s) have all borne fruit, enabling us repeatedly to test the fine rich flavor of each. The plants are also very vigorous; but I must wait another season before I can learn much about them.

40. McAvoy's Extra Red is very much in the same condition as the preceding, except inferior in flavor.

41. Kitley's Goliah (s) - could not test even the flavor, but it is now in blossom.

42. Bicton Pine (a) has borne me a few very Urge and beautiful specimens, of rich aromatic flavored fruit. It is the new strawberry from England; white, with a delicate blush on one cheek.

43. Crescent Seedling By a series of mishaps with this plant, I Anally lost the whole of four successive importations from New-Orleans, after a part had finely started to grow here. The fifth order was more successful, and I have six or eight plants now growing vigorously in my garden, and striking runners freely - but I received them in May, in pots, and so am unable to report any test of them, as I ardently hoped this season; next season we will see if they continue to bear through July and August, as they do in New-Orleans.

I have some other new kinds on trial, one of which has considerably excited my expectations. I have also some fine seedlings in bearing, decidedly different from others, and yet I cannot see as they excel the old standard varieties in any important sense, and therefore they are unworthy of notice. If I had no strawberries, and wished to set out a bed for family use, with my present knowledge, I would select one fifth of them each of No. 1, 2 and 5; one-tenth each of No. 26, 27, and 28. Then add, perhaps, five or ten plants each of 3, 4,10,18 and 19, and of course try the new kinds, 36 to 43. For market I would largely add No. 30 and 31.

I have thus endeavored to give you an impartial account as I am able to do, of my observations on most of the varieties in bearing in my garden the past season, and am unconscious of having been biased in any way, by fear or favor. If injustice has been done to any one, I will cheerfully repair it, if another season's experience will furnish facts for the basis.

Again permit me to assure your readers that another interesting season's observations of the habits of the strawberry, has only confirmed me in the opinion that strawberries can easily be raised with us at a cost of not exceeding six to eight shillings per bushel, and the crop ought to be about as certain as a good farmer's crop of corn. Either are impatient of neglect, and both are alike certain to repay attention. The knowledge how to raise either, is easily learned in both cases, and good soil will raise both. R. G. P.

Palmyra, July 8,1852.