NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF THE STRAWBERRY. 201 



berries with more or less sunken seeds, with the trusses lower 

 than the leaves, and seem to belong mostly to the species repre- 

 sented in nature by Fragaria Virginiana, although there are sup- 

 posed hybridizations with Fragaria Chiloensis, and, in the higher 

 flavored class, with Fragaria elatior. Certain it is that in growing 

 seedlings from our improved varieties reversions often occur to 

 varieties referable to the Hautbois and Chilian sorts, from which 

 hybridization can be inferred. I have noted as of common occur- 

 rence that seedlings from high-flavored varieties are very likely to 

 furnish some plants of the Hautbois class, and even scarcely, if at 

 all, distinguishable from named varieties'of the Hautbois with which 

 there has been opportunity for close comparison. From large ber- 

 ried varieties of diminished flavor, and which occasionally throw 

 hollowed berries, the reversion occasionally produces plants un- 

 mistakably of the Chilian tjpe. In other cases we have noticed 

 reversions to forms of Fragaria vesca. These circumstances all 

 lead towards establishing the mingled parentage of our varieties 

 under cultivation, and render the classification of cultivated varie- 

 ties somewhat difficult. Vilmorin seems to have separated varieties 

 into natural groupings under the headings : — Wood strawberries, 

 Fragaria vesca^ L. ; Alpine strawberries, Fragaria alpina, Pers. ; 

 Short-runnered, Fragaria collina, Ehrh. ; Hautbois, Fragaria ela- 

 tior, Ehrh. ; Scarlet, Fragaria Virginiana, Ehrh. ; Chili, Fragaria 

 Chiloensis, Duch. ; Vmea,p\:>\e, Fragaria grandijlora, Ehrh., and 

 Hybrid \_Fragaria hybrida'] ? Under this latter distribution, to 

 which he does not venture the Latin nomenclature, he does not 

 recognize sufficient identity of chaiacter for general description, 

 but I cannot avoid expressing belief that an extended acquaint- 

 ance with varieties will enable a description to be formulated which 

 will make of this group a species b}' convenience, or, otherwise ex- 

 pressed, a historical species, with a number of sub-species [for 

 convenience] which shall simplify the question of arrangement and 

 which will enable us to secure a quicker identification of varieties. 

 The changes which have been produced, or have appeared under 

 cultivation, seem comparatively few. 1. Increased size of plant. 

 Yet in nature we find variability in this respect, arising from greater 

 or less fertility or favoring character of the soil and exposure. This 

 increase of size seems also in a measure to have become heredi- 

 tary. 2. Increased size of berry. In nature we find variability in 

 this respect. All analogical reasoning justifies the belief that this 



