CHAPTER XII. 



THE SMALL FRUITS. 



The strawberry is the most important of small fruits. It is 

 found growing from the far North to the hot South and around 

 the world. Is is easily grown, stands transportation moderately 

 well and is almost universally admired. 



Origin. The cultivated varieties of strawberries have come 

 from the following species: Chilian strawberry (Fragaria chilo- 

 ensis). This South American species evidently enters most 

 largely into the parentage of our cultivated kinds, although this 

 fact was not generally acknowledged, and until recent years it 

 was thought that the native North American strawberry was 

 the parent of nearly all our cultivated kinds. 



American strawberry (Fragaria virginiana). This species 

 enters in a small way into some of our cultivated kinds. It was 

 formerly believed to form the largest part of the parentage of 

 the best American kinds, but this has been shown to be a mis- 

 take. 



Alpine strawberry (Fragaria vescaj. This is a native of 

 Europe and of the northern parts of this country and Canada. 

 From it have come some of the ever-bearing varieties whose 

 praises are so often talked of. It will not readily hybridize with 

 either of the two kinds previously mentioned. This species is 

 not sufficiently productive to warrant its being largely culti- 

 vated. The ever-bearing or perpetual varieties are not desirable 

 since they produce a few berries all through the season, but do 

 not produce enough at any one time to make their cultivation 

 an object of importance. This class of strawberries is generally 

 grown from seed but may be increased by runners. 



Propagation. The strawberry is increased by seed, runners 

 and plant divisions. The plants of the commercial kinds do not 

 "come true" from seed, but seedlings vary very much in their 

 value for cultivation. Probably not one plant in five thousand 

 seedlings that may be raised will be as good as any of the best 

 half dozen varieties now in cultivation, but there will be a good 



