22 THE STRAWBERRY IN NORTH AMERICA 



difference in climatic conditions. American horticulturists 

 still were copying Old World methods. 



Origin of the Hovey. — The first named variety of any 

 fruit produced in North America by definite plant breed- 

 ing was the Hovey strawberry, originated by C. M. Hovey 

 of Boston, in 1834. It was natural that this important 



pioneer work should have been 

 done at that point and at that 

 time. Boston was the center 

 of progressive horticulture in 

 North America. In 1829 a 

 group of enthusiastic and well- 

 posted amateurs had organized 

 there the Massachusetts Horti- 

 cultural Society, which now has 

 an unbroken and notable his- 

 tory of nearly a century. The 

 organization of this society 

 definitely marked the separa- 

 tion of horticulture from general 

 agriculture on this continent. 

 This pioneer society (the one 

 organized at New York in 1818 had but a brief existence), 

 together with the strong society organized at Philadelphia 

 a little later, made possible the organization of the Ameri- 

 can Pomological Society, in 1849. It also made possible 

 the publication of the Magazine of Horticulture, edited by 

 C. M. Hovey for forty years, our most valuable single 

 repository of horticulture. 



Hovey was led to undertake his work in strawberry 

 breeding by the obvious lack of suitable varieties for 

 culture in North America. Large Early Scarlet, Hudson's 

 Bay, Early Hudson, Crimson Cone, and Methven Scarlet, 



Fig. 2. — C. M. Hovey, orig 

 inator of the Hovey straw 

 berry. 



