THE CHILI STRAWBERRY. 



119 



new beds, I cut off as soon as they make 

 their appearance, but never the leaves. 

 As the cold weather approaches, I give 

 them a light erovering of rotten manure. 

 In the spring this is raked off and dug in 

 between the rows, and the beds kept free 

 from weeds. Although my plan does not 

 prove that the Chili bears fruit of the 

 largest size among strawberries, which 

 they would do with more care, industry 

 and attention to the means necessary to 

 that end, it yet shows that they are by no 

 means so delicate and sensitive as Poiteau 

 describes them ; and no one need feel-any 

 apprehension on that account, in under- 

 takinof to cultivate them. 



REMARKS BY THE TRANSLATOR. 



After this somewhat minute dissertation, 

 one is inclined to draw some practical in- 

 ferences from the statements just read. 

 The principal conclusion must be, that we 

 are in want of more light, both in regard 

 to the strawberry in general, as well as in 

 respect to the particular kind we have 

 under examination. The following inqui- 

 ries suggest themselves, and individuals 

 having means of ready communication with 

 Chili, might much benefit us in setting on 

 foot some investigation respecting the lat- 

 ter, as it appears in its native country, 

 while others may be as profitably employed 

 in closely examining those we possess, whe- 

 ther in our gardens, or growing wild in our 

 fields, woods and wastes. It may be neces- 

 sary to premise, to guard against mistakes, 

 that the name Chili has been applied to 

 strawberries not included in the class to 

 which the term is now exclusively confined; 

 such are in general synonyms of kinds 

 ranked in the third class. Pine strawber- 

 ries. 



Of our indigenous sorts we find several 

 m our vicinity, and growing in very dif- 



ferent soils and localities, some in meadows, 

 others in bare clay banks, in sand, and 

 even on the highest points of our moun- 

 tains ; the varieties seem more numerous 

 than is admitted by botanists. Amongst 

 these may be mentioned a sort with long- 

 ish fruit, with a decided neck, and high- 

 ly perfumed, deserving our attention as 

 adapted to the impregnation of other kinds 

 to produce new seedling varieties. A few 

 sets I have removed into my garden, for 

 further observation. We have also a white, 

 like the English White Wood, probably 

 from seed accidentally dropped. 



The bad effect of plaster on Chili straw- 

 berries, in the neighborhood of Paris, where 

 that mineral abounds, corroborates the opi- 

 nion of our farmers, who attribute the gra- 

 dual disappearance of the strawberry from 

 our fields to the general use of gypsum. 

 We have, nevertheless, heard of its being 

 recommended to be applied to them ; but 

 should consider it inexpedient, if from no 

 other reason, than lest it should introduce 

 the small creeping clover, so difficult to era- 

 dicate, into the beds, which it would un- 

 questionably do. We must also observe, 

 that barren plants are not confined to those 

 under cultivation, but prevail amongst the 

 wild. 



Many other plants beside the Strawberry 

 show the same imperfection, as, for instance, 

 our grape vines, which are often barren 

 from a defect in the sexual parts ; so it is 

 in the Rhamnus and the Celtis. (Vide 

 Eatoii's Manual under Vitis rhamnus and 

 Celtis, and Gray's Botamj, p. 305, 306.) 



Another subject of inquiry will be, as to 

 the truth of the assertion, that the runners 

 from fertile plants finally become barren ; 

 this seems hardly probable, as far as struc- 

 ture is concerned ; it may be from exhaus- 

 tion of the soil. It would be well further 

 to examine as to the superior value of 



