STATE HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 311 



This idea of hot-house culture seems to have been adopted to some 

 extent, for Switzer, writing in 1724, informs us that strawberries 

 and cherries have been forced by bottom heat from time immemorial 

 by the London market gardeners. 



Early in the seventeenth century the strawberries from Virginia 

 were introduced into both France and England, but do not appear to 

 have thriven to any great extent, for in "Langley's Pomona," published 

 in 1729, only three kinds are mentioned. 



Others were introduced about this time from Chili and Surinam, 

 one of which, the " fragria grandiflora," has been reckoned by botan- 

 ists as a distinct species. 



Their wholesome and medicinal qualities have always been highly 

 approved, and no less authority in the botanical world than the great 

 Linnaeus recommends them for the cure of gout, and attributes his 

 cure from that disease to the free use of strawberries. 



Old Dr. Parr, when on his death bed at the age of 120 years, it is 

 said, exclaimed: " If I can only live till strawberries come," and 

 seemed to think that their presence was the one thing needful to ef- 

 fect his cure. 



While highly approved, but little progress was made in its culture 

 until within the last half century, during which time it has been de- 

 veloped from the small, sour fruit of our fathers into the sweet and 

 delicious "ideal of the epicures" and often made to attain the weight 

 of a quarter of a pound and more. 



SOIL. 



With its wide range of habitat and extended list of varieties, the 

 strawberry will succeed on any good, rich or well-fertilized soil, and 

 if the right kinds are chosen, seems equally at home on light sand or 

 strong, tenacious clay. If we wish to plant on clayey land, we must 

 look carefully after the drainage; for we must avoid excess of water 

 as well as drouth. Yet the strawberry will thrive, especially on sandy 

 land, with an amount of moisture that would prove disastrous to many 

 other cultivated crops. 



Rev.E.P. Roe says: "Though we give our strawberries plants every- 

 thing else they need, our crop of fruit will still be good or bad in pro- 

 portion as we are able to maintain abundant moisture during the blos- 

 soming and fruiting season." If this can be attained by irrigation 

 or in any other way, then we may look for the best results from a 

 given outlay on a light, sandy, easily cultivated soil. We must not 

 allow the long hot days of June to check the growth of plant and fruit 



