506 THE FRUIT GARDEN. [SEPT. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



Of the Fragaria vesca, or esculent strawberry, there are five prin- 

 cipal varieties cultivated in gardens for their very delicious fruit. 

 1. F. virginiana, or scarlet strawberry. 2. F. vesca pratensis, of 

 Alton, or hautboy strawberry. 3. F. Chiloensis, or Chili straw- 

 berry. 4. F. Alpina, Alpine or monthly strawberry, and, 5, F. 

 Ananas, or pine-apple strawberry. There are besides these, the va- 

 rieties sylvestris, or common wood strawberry, and caroliniana, or 

 Carolina strawberry, with many others arising from these, differing 

 principally in the color of their fruit. 



The first, or scarlet strawberry, has dark green leaves, and is of a 

 more even surface than the others ; the flowering stems are shorter, 

 and the fruit is frequently concealed among the leaves. It is the 

 earliest in ripening its fruit, for which reason it merits esteem, had 

 it nothing else to recommend it; but the fruit is so good as to be 

 generally preferred to most others. 



The second, or hautboy strawberry, has larger and thicker leaves 

 than the scarlet, oval-lanceolate, and rough ; the fruit is of a pale 

 red, much larger than the scarlet, and of a musky flavor, of which there 

 are several varieties, differing in shape and color, but that called the 

 globe hautboy is the best and most approved fruit. 



The third, or Chili strawberry, has oval hairy leaves, of a much 

 thicker substance than any sort yet known, and stands upon very 

 strong hairy footstalks ; the runners from the plants are very large, 

 hairy, and extend to a great length, putting out plants at several dis- 

 tances. The peduncles are very strong ; the leaves of the calyx are 

 long and hairy. The flowers are large and are often deformed, and 

 when cultivated in strong loamy land, the plants produce plenty of 

 large, firm, well-flavored fruit j in a light soil this kind is not gene- 

 rally very productive. 



The fourth, or Alpine strawberry, has small oval leaves, small 

 flowers, and middle-sized, oblong, pointed fruit ; the plants and fruit 

 are considerably larger than the wood strawberry, and are parti- 

 cularly valuable for their continuing to bear fruit successively from 

 June till the autumn frosts put a stop to them, but with the help of 

 hot-beds, &c., they may be kept in a bearing state the whole year 

 round. The reason of its long continuance in fruit is, that the run- 

 ners which it throws out during the summer, shoot up into flowers 

 and fruit the same year. Of this there are four varieties, the scarlet 

 fruited, red fruited, white fruited, and scarlet blossomed. This is said 

 to be a native of the Alps, in Europe. 



The fifth, or pine- apple strawberry, has leaves which much resem- 

 ble those of the scarlet strawberry, but are larger, of a thicker sub- 

 stance, and the indentures of their edges are blunter ; the runners 

 are much larger and hairy ; the peduncles are stronger, the flowers 

 much larger, and the fruit approaches in size, shape, and color, to 

 the Chili strawberry. As this produces a great quantity of fruit 

 when the plants are kept clear from runners (and the fruit is very 

 large) it is well worthy of cultivation. The fruit of this variety has 



