CHAPTER II 



THE RISE OF COMMERCIAL STRAWBERRY- 

 GROWING 



The variety which was to transform the commercial 

 culture of the strawberry in North America from an insig- 

 nificant industry, occupying less than 1500 acres, to an in- 

 dustry requiring 150,000 acres, and wonderfully popularize 

 its culture in the home garden, was born near Albany, 

 New York, in 1851. In that year James Wilson, a Scotch 

 gardener who had a small nursery business near Albany, 

 sowed seeds of the Hovey, Black Prince and Ross' Phoenix, 

 all popular garden varieties at that time. Both Black 

 Prince and Ross' Phoenix were Pines, the former a seedling 

 of Keens' Imperial, and a direct descendant of the origi- 

 nal Pineapple strawberry ; the latter a seedling of Keens' 

 Seedling. The seeds were the result of natural pollina- 

 tion ; no hand crossing was done. The parentage of the 

 Wilson, therefore, is a matter of speculation. James 

 Wilson was confident that his famous seedling was Hovey 

 X Black Prince, and this opinion was shared by A. S. 

 Fuller. 



Only one of the seedlings showed promise. At a meet- 

 ing of the Albany and Rensselaer Horticultural Society, 

 held at Albany on June 22, 1853, "James Wilson exhibited 

 a new seedling strawberry." ^ Apparently it did not at- 

 1 Mag. HorU, 1853, p. 419. 

 35 



