On the Cultivation of the Strawberry. 299 



Art. IV. On the Cultivation of the Strawberry, with some Account 

 of several of the most esteemed Varieties. By the Conductors. 



The strawberry, thoug-h so e^enerally cultivated, is, how- 

 ever, not often seen growing in its g-reatest perfection. Since 

 the introduction of the fine English kinds into our gardens, 

 more attention has been given to this fruit ; and their large 

 size, and beautiful appearance, combined with their excel- 

 lent growth, prolific bearing, and high flavor, has acquired 

 for them a place among other dessert fruits, which they so 

 eminently deserve. Previous to the introduction of these 

 kinds, almost the only variety cultivated in this vicinity, 

 was that called the old wood ; this is still to be seen in our 

 markets, though not in such abundance as formerly. It is 

 very well, if there is plenty of room in a garden, to have a 

 small bed of the latter, as they often last till the other kinds 

 are all gone. But as regards any other qualification, for 

 ourselves, we would never occupy ground for their cultiva- 

 tion, which could be employed, in numerous ways, to a bet- 

 ter advantage, and afford much more gratification to the own- 

 er. We have not grown this old variety for several years, 

 having been convinced that, as a dessert fruit, they were quite 

 inferior, and if grown for the market, not yielding, in com- 

 parison with the new kinds, a crop which would remunerate 

 for the labor of picking. 



There are now a large number of varieties enumerated in 

 the nurserymen's catalogues, many of which are synony- 

 mous, and several sorts not worth growing ; to make a selec- 

 tion from these, and to include such kinds as combine all the 

 best qualities, is, to one unacquainted with them, no easy task; 

 we therefore give a short description of several varieties 

 which we have cultivated, and most of which have been 

 selected by Mr. Thompson, of the London Horticultural So- 

 ciety's garden, as the best, leaving our readers to select 

 from them such as they think the most desirable ; they are 

 all excellent, but some superior to others. 



The strawberry is a native of our climate, and is to be 

 found growing in its wild state, in the pastures and fields. 

 Mr. Knight considers all the strawberries as varieties of 

 one species ; but some botanists have distinguished them as 

 ditferent species. 



The varieties were divided into classes, and well describ- 

 ed by Mr. Barnet, of the Caledonian Horticultural Society, 

 of Scotland, in the Hort. Trans, vol. vi. ; but many more 

 kinds have since been added, and, among them some of the 

 most esteemed. 



