STRAWBERRIES. 



KEENS' SEEDLING. Pr. cat. Pom. mag. Lond. iiobi. trans. 



Keens^ New Pine, } r n .• 



T.' J r>7 J n- } ot some collections. 

 Keens Black Fine, ^ 



This variety was raised from the seed of Keens' Imperial, 

 thus aflbrding a proof that like produces like in the vegetable 

 kingdom, and that tiie seeds of a fine variety will most proba- 

 bly produce fine varieties ; but my own opinion in relation to 

 this point is that one parent at least should be of such character. 



The great merits of this strawberry are, that the fruit is very 

 large, very good, and that it is a very prolific bearer ; it also 

 carries well, and bears its fruit high enough above the earth 

 to keep it free from the soil, and it is one of the most vigorous 

 varieties. Its leaves are broad and dark green, and the heal- 

 thiness of its appearance is scarcely equalled by any of its 

 class, except the Old Pine, and if this be inferior to that in 

 flavour, it is much more than equal to it in size and produc- 

 tiveness. The following description of it is given in the London 

 Horticultural Society's Transactions : 



" A most excellent bearer, ripening early, soon after the 

 Scarlets, and before any other of the Pines ; tiie fruit is very 

 large, round or ovate, some of the largest assuming a cocks- 

 comb shape ; when ripe of a very dark purplish scarlet next 

 the sun, the other side paler, slightly hairy ; seeds (grains) a 

 little embedded in the polished surface of the fruit, which has 

 usually a furrow at the apex ; the flesh is firm, solid, scarlet, 

 without any separable core, tolerably high flavoured ; calyx is 

 of moderate size, hairy, incurved ; the footstalks of the leaves 

 are tall, slightly hairy ; the leaflets very large, roundish, for 

 the most part flat, reclined, of a very smooth shining dark 



