called wood strawberry, and the Hautbois strawberry, all of which 

 had been introduced from Europe. 3 



The exact origin of our present garden strawberries is unknown, 

 although the general opinion is that they are hybrids from the Vir- 

 ginia and Chiloe strawberries. 5 6 The pine strawberry, progenitor of 

 our modern strawberry, which first appeared in Europe about 1750, 

 apparently was a hybrid of these two species. 3 5 Recent genetical re- 

 search 5 strongly indicates that neither the alpine nor the Hautbois 

 strawberry played a part in the development of the garden type, de- 

 spite that the alpine strawberry became naturalized in this country 

 at an early date. It is notable, however, that the Hovey strawbc-rry 

 (parentage uncertain), originating in Boston in 1834, was the first 

 named variety of any fruit produced in North America by systematic 

 plant breeding. 3 



Strawberry breeding, designed to improve the flavor and shipping 

 quality, and to develop strains adapted to a particular climate, has 

 been carried on rather extensively, especially in recent years. The 

 United States Department of Agriculture has sponsored much of 

 this work; Government specialists have been experimenting with 

 strawberries since 1920 in Maryland, North Carolina, and Oregon. 8 7 

 Thousands of hybrid seedlings have been produced as a result of the 

 use of both wild and cultivated varieties of strawberries as experi- 

 mental (parent) stock. The wild stock included some 75 collections 

 of native strawberries of the West made by national forest officers, 

 working in cooperation with the Division of Eange Research of the 

 United States Forest Service. As a result of this intensive breeding 

 work seven new and superior varieties of strawberries were selected 

 and introduced to the trade by 1925. 6 



3 See footnote on preceding page. 



5 Mangelsdorf, A. J. ORIGIN OF THE GARDEN STRAWBERRY. Jour. Heredity 18: 177-184, 

 illus. 1927. 



6 Darrow, G. M., Waldo, G. F., Schuster, C. E., and Pickett, B. S. TWELVE TEARS OF 

 STRAWBERRY BREEDING . . . Jour. Heredity 25 (11) : 451-462, illus. 1934. 



7 Darrow, G. M., Waldo, G. F., and Schuster, C. E. TWELVE YEARS OF STRAWBERRY 

 BREEDING. Jour. Heredity 24 : 391-402, illus. 1933. 



