6 THE STRAWBERRY IN NORTH AMERICA 



and not unmusical vendor's cry, " Strawber-r-ries, ripe 

 strawber-r-ries \" At that time the strawberry season 

 was Kmited to the period of ripening of the nearby wild 

 berries, which was not over four weeks ; now it is extended 

 over six months, and berries may be had the year around. 



The Beginning of Garden Culture 



Garden culture of the strawberry began to receive more 

 serious attention about 1750, especially from a few well-to- 

 do amateurs who could afford to employ private gar- 

 deners. The hautbois, wood and Chilean strawberries 

 were introduced from Europe then, together with some of 

 the improved varieties of F. virginiana that had been 

 developed by English horticulturists. 



Varieties listed in early trade catalogs. — Much of this 

 interest was stimulated by the establishment, about the 

 middle of the century, of the first North American nurs- 

 ery, by William Prince, at Flushing, on Long Island, New 

 York. For many years. Prince's Linnsean Garden was 

 the chief center for the dissemination of horticultural 

 plants. William Prince died in 1 802, leaving the business to 

 his son, William Prince, who, in turn, handed it down to 

 his son, William Robert Prince ; so that the firm had an 

 unbroken history of over a century. It exerted a pro- 

 found influence during the formative period of North 

 American horticulture. The first North American trade 

 catalogs of horticultural plants were issued by Prince. In 

 one of the earliest, sent out in 1771, three kinds of straw- 

 berries are offered for sale : " Large Hautboys, the Chili, 

 the Redwood." 



He sold these for "one shilling per dozen roots." 

 The Hautboys was F. elatior, the hautbois of Europe; 



