128 THE STRAWBERRY IN NORTH AMERICA 



This record of F. virginiana under cultivation in North 

 America should be sufficient to clear the species of the 

 charge that it has been but a negligible factor. Whether 

 it enters into the lineage of modern varieties or not, it has 

 contributed largely to the upbuilding of the strawberry 

 industry. For over a century varieties of the Scarlet 

 held almost undisputed control of the strawberry market of 

 North America, limited though it was. 



Historical evidence. Turning now to the more specula- 

 tive phase of the subject the botanical origin of the 

 garden strawberry of today it must be keenly regretted 

 that the parentage of the four varieties from which most 

 modern sorts have sprung is so obscure. These stem 

 varieties are the Hovey, Wilson, Sharpless and Crescent. 

 I have been able to obtain records of 1853 varieties which 

 have originated in North America. Of these the parents 

 of only 348 are known definitely. Sixty-three are de- 

 scendants of Crescent, sixty-nine of Sharpless, forty-eight 

 of Wilson and fifty-one of Hovey. Thus approximately 

 two thirds of the varieties of known parentage have come 

 from the great four. It is a misfortune that the parents 

 of none of the four are known with certainty, hence the 

 subject must be one for speculation rather than for con- 

 clusive proof. 



When C. M. Hovey produced his famous seedling he 

 made the following six crosses by hand : 



1. Methven Scarlet XfKeens' Seedling. 



2. Methven Scarlet X^Melon. 



3. Mulberry X Keens' Seedling. 



4. Melon X f Keens' Seedling. 



5. Southborough X Prolific Hautbois. 



6. Grove End Scarlet X* Keens' Seedling. 





