PLANTS CULTIVATED FOR THEIR FRUITS. 205 



Fndtier dii Museum by Decaisne. These authors have 

 overcome u'reat difficulties in distinouishinfj the varieties 

 and hybrids which are multiplied in gardens from the 

 true species, and in defining these by well-marked charac- 

 ters. Some straAvberries Avhose fruit is poor have been 

 abandoned, and the finest are the result of the crossing 

 of the species of Virginia and Chili, of which I am about 

 to speak. 



Virg-inian Strawberry Fragaria virginiana, Ehrarht. 



The scarlet strawberry of French gardens. This 

 species, indigenous in Canada and in the eastern States 

 of America, and of which one variety extends west as 

 far as the Rocky Mountains, perhaps even to Oregon,^ 

 was inti-oduced into English gardens in 1629.^ It was 

 much cultivated in France in the last century, but its 

 liybrids with other species are now more esteemed. 



Chili Strawberry Fragaria Chiluensis, Duchesne. 



A species common in Southern Chili, at Conception, 

 Valdivia, and Cliiloe.^ and often cultivated in that country. 

 It was brought to France by Frezier in the year 1715. 

 Cultivated in the Museum of Natural History in France, 

 it spread to England and elsewhere. The large size of 

 the berry and its excellent fiavour have produced by 

 different crossings, especially with F. virginiana, the 

 highly prized varieties Ananas, Victoria, Trollope, 

 Ruhls, etc. 



Bird-Cherry Prunus avium, Linnceus; Susskirsch- 

 baum in German. 



I use the word cherry because it is customary, and 

 has no inconvenience when speaking of cultiv^ated species 

 or varieties, but tlie study of allied wild species confirms 

 the opinion of Linnasus, that the cherries do not form 

 a separate genus from the plums. 



All the varieties of the cultivated cherry belong to 

 two species, which are found wild : 1. Prunus avium, 

 Linnaeus, tall, with no suckers from the roots, leaves 



* Apa Gray, Manual of Botany of the Northern Stofe.f, edit. 1868, 

 p. 155 ; Botany of California, i. p. 177. 

 Phillips, Romar. Brit., p. 335. 

 3 CI. Gay, Hist. Chili, Botanica, u. p. .S05. 



