272 LUTHER BURBANK 



as Fragaria Chiloensis was introduced early in 

 the eighteenth century from Chile. 



Nor indeed was there any immediate improve- 

 ment from the introduction of this fruit. But 

 about the year 1760 a new variety suddenly 

 appeared that was called the Pine strawberry 

 because its fragrance suggested that of the pine- 

 apple. There was no record as to its origin, but 

 the best authorities argue with good reason that 

 it was a hybrid between the Chilean strawberry 

 and the American species introduced much earlier 

 from Virginia. 



As usually happens when different species are 

 hybridized, a tendency to variation was produced, 

 and before the close of the eighteenth century 

 there were two important types of new straw- 

 berry of the Pine variety, one of which was 

 named by the botanist Fragaria ananassa and 

 the other Fragaria grandiflora. 



It is argued with plausibility that these are 

 modified forms of the South American straw- 

 berry introduced from Chile, the precise share of 

 other species in the combination not being per- 

 haps clearly established. 



The most popular modern varieties of straw- 

 berries are the descendants of this so-called Pine 

 stock, the most notable impulse to the develop- 

 ment of new varieties having been given through 



