286 STRAWBERRY. 



at Downtim, the name of his estate, and is a very good 

 bearer. 



The roseberry is, in point of flavour, surpassed by no 

 cultivated strawberry I have seen. It resembles, in form 

 and flavour, the Alpine, but is a better bearer. This last, 



The Alpine, is a monthlv strawberry ; it continues in 

 bearing from June unti! Oc'-ooer in this climate is like the 

 wood-strawberry in form and flavour, but is a shy bearer. 



The scarlets are all large and fine fruit; the largest va- 

 riety are fine flavoured and very early. They are not very 

 great bearers, but should be cultivated as valuable varieties, 

 as well as for their beauty and excellent qualities. 



The hautbois is the favourite English strawberry. It is 

 totally different from what is commonly called the hauthois 

 in this country. The flat hautbois grows- generally on the 

 top of the vines is brown, and greenish white when ripe 

 fine flavoured, pretty good bearer, but difficult to detach 

 from its stalk. 



The round hautboii is of a dark purple when ripe is 

 somewhat in form like the common red strawberry, out 

 larger ; and the 



Musk hautbois is like the preceding a shy bearer, but 

 very delicious. 



The wood-strawberry is far before any other in point of fla- 

 vour, and, if transplanted into gardens, may for two or three 

 years answer very well ; and if not too highly manured, 

 preserve their flavour and increase their size. But new 

 plants must be obtained, every two or three years, from the 

 woods, to make new plantations, or they will degenerate. 



Soil and manure. The soil proper for this last mentioned 

 variety, as well as all others, is light, warm, and gravelly ; 

 and the manure to be applied should be exclusively vegeta- 

 ble, and not animal manure. The usual practice is to ma- 

 nure the ground with rotten dung, with a view to increase 

 the size and quantity of fruit ; but, in doing this, the fla- 

 vour of the fruit is destroyed in proportion to the richness 

 of the soil. Besides, high manuring produces strong vines 

 and little fruit. Rotten leaves, decayed wood, ashes, in 

 small quantity, mixed with other vegetable substances in a 

 compost heap, will make better manure for strawberries 

 than any animal substance whatever. As the vines which 

 bear this fruit require great moisture to bring the fmit to 

 its proper size, the soil and situation in which they are 

 placed must not be too dry. 



