EARLY HISTORY 23 



together with Red Wood in the vicinity of Boston, comprised 

 the list of commercial sorts. All were deficient in produc- 

 tiveness, size and quality ; all, with the exception of Red 

 Wood, had a very short fruiting season. A number of 

 the improved varieties of the Pine, which then were being 

 received with great acclaim in Europe, had been intro- 

 duced and given a fair trial. In size and quality they were 

 distinctly superior, but none, with the possible exception 

 of Mulberry, gave promise of becoming valuable for 

 general cultivation. They did not possess sufficient 

 stamina to endure the rigors of our climate. 



In 1834 Hovey made six hand crosses in his garden, 

 clipping the anthers from the unopened flowers, and trans- 

 ferring the pollen to the receptive pistils with a camel's 

 hair brush, in the most approved fashion of today. Like 

 many another plant breeder, Hovey was so unfortunate 

 as to lose his labels, so that he never knew positively which 

 cross produced his famous seedling. The loss of labels 

 was a far greater misfortune than Hovey could have 

 imagined. If the real parentage of the Hovey were known, 

 it would do much to clear up present doubts concerning 

 the botanical origin of the North American strawberry. 

 This is discussed more fully in Chapter III. Boston Pine, 

 the only other variety introduced by Hovey, was produced 

 in the same lot of seedlings, and was supposed by him to 

 be Grove End Scarlet X Keens' Seedling. It was grown 

 to some extent near Boston for pollinating the Hovey, 

 but did not become prominent. 



The first novelty. — Hovey first exhibited his seedling 

 before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in 1838. 

 It created a furore. The fruit was much larger and more 

 attractive than any variety known, while the productive- 

 ness of the plants, as grown in the garden of the originator. 



