FEBRUARY. 43 



INGRAM'S PRINCE OF WALES STRAWBERRY. 



When any good and really useful variety of fruit is raised and offered 

 for sale, the more its intrinsic worth is known from authenticated 

 sources the more confidence will the public have in it. It is purely 

 with this idea that I propose offering a few remarks and unexaggerated 

 statements by way of testifying to the merits of the above new variety, 

 as I am quite convinced that, like the black Hamburgh Grape, it will 

 soon be considered the " gardener's friend," and become a general 

 favourite. 



It is now pretty well known that this variety was raised by Mr. 

 Ingram, of Frogmore, in 1849. It is the result of a cross between 

 the British Queen and Keen's seedling ; and like its first-named 

 parent, the leaf- stalks and under surface of the leaves are hairy, 

 though the habit of the plant is not so robust, resembling more 

 Keen's seedling. The fruit is large, finely shaped, richly coloured, 

 quite firm fleshed, and of exquisite flavour. The fact of this variety 

 having been proved the best, and consequently most extensively cul- 

 tivated in pots for early forcing at the Royal Gardens, Frogmore, is 

 a sufficient guarantee of its superiority as an early forcer. It is also 

 largely cultivated in the open air, where it ripens at least ten days 

 earlier than the British Queen. Whether forced, grown naturally, 

 or cultivated particularly for autumn use, it is very prolific. For 

 autumnal cultivation it certainly is the best sort extant, and as it 

 becomes generally known, in like proportion will it be appreciated. 



While at Frogmore, I had the opportunity of seeing an abundant 

 crop of fine fruit gathered from it in the spring, summer, and 

 autumn of 1852. I saw it forced early, and, after having produced 

 an excellent crop of fine fruit, taken out of the forcing house the last 

 week in March, placed in a convenient exposed situation, and turned 

 out of pots into a south border the last week in May, not disturbing 

 the roots, and planting a foot apart each way. From these plants, 

 although three crops of blooms were taken off in their infant state 

 previous to the remaining one, splendid dessert fruit was gathered, 

 some as large as pigeons' eggs, richly coloured, though, of course, 

 owing to the absence of solar heat and prevalence of rain, it was not 

 so finely flavoured as that gathered during the heat of summer. 

 From this variety alone a good supply of fine dessert fruit might be 

 obtained from the beginning of March to the end of November. By 

 planting forced plants at intervals in spring and the early part of 

 summer, and if the border were so measured and planted that a 

 vacant frame could be conveniently placed over them in autumn, it 

 would, by warding oft the heavy rains, not only prolong the autumn 

 gathering season, but finer and better flavoured fruit would be the 

 result. Abundance of air on fine favourable days must be admitted ; 

 and I should add, if the weather proves dry about the time they are 

 planted, as this variety by the above treatment grows steady and 

 strong, give them a good supply of water, and as they advance in 

 growth, treat them occasionally to a little diluted manure water. 



T. Burgess. 



