STRAWBERRY. 323 



will it produce fine and abundant fruit. A proper 

 strawberry soil must contain a good supply of ve- 

 getable matter ; hence the wild Strawberry, growing 

 on newly-cultivated lands, is usually very fine, and 

 decayed wood and leaves have been found some of 

 the best materials to incorporate in the strawberry- 

 bed. The earth must be made fine and deep by 

 spading or other means, and thoroughly-rotted ma- 

 nure or compost fully incorporated with every part 

 of the loosened soil. A deep, mellow loam, moder- 

 ately moist, and well filled with vegetable matter, is 

 found best for the Strawberry ; yet it will succeed 

 in almost any soil where the requisite depth and 

 richness are given. 



There are very numerous varieties of the Straw- 

 berry, and they are classed in the catalogue of the 

 London Horticultural Society under the heads of 

 Scarlet, Black, Pine, Chili, Hautbois, Green, Alpine, 

 and Wood Strawberries. Of all the different ivmds, 

 the Wood or Field Strawberry is the highest fla- 

 voured, and the Alpine is probably the most prolific. 

 The Methven Scarlet is one of the largest, not un- 

 frequently measuring four inches in circumference ; 

 and the Downton, a variety of the Chili, originated 

 by Mr. Knight, was grown by Judge Buel, for sev- 

 eral years in succession, to the size of four inches 

 and three fourths. 



Of the many varieties, the following may be rec- 

 ommended as making a good selection for gardens. 

 The Wood and Scarlet Strawberries of the native 

 kinds ; the Downton, Keen's Seedling, Wilmot, 

 Blood Pine, and Elton's Seedling of the dark or 

 black kinds ; of the Hautbois, the Black Hautbois 

 and the Twice-bearing ; and of the Chili, Wilmot's 

 Superb and Keen's Imperial. The Alpine produces 

 fruit from June till November, or until prevented by 

 the frost fi-oni coming to maturity. Wilmot's Su- 

 perb does not always succeed here, and the Methven 

 Castle is sometimes hollow and w^orthless ; and, as 



