4/2 GENERAL REVIEW. 



it seems probable they are all forms of the same plant, the 

 differences not being more than one may expect to see in 

 plants grown for ages under different climatic conditions. The 

 main differences are in the leaves, and in flavour. There is 

 a green-fruited variety (F. virutis), found rarely in Europe, 

 and this bears round fruits very profusely, and, as it pos- 

 sesses a distinct Pine-apple-like flavour, it might be useful for 

 hybridising. The Hautbois race bear most copious crops of 

 fruit sometimes ; but if grown in rich soils, the stamens are 

 imperfect, and no fruit or but a poor crop is the result. This 

 is a curious fact, and one which bears out Mr Meehan's 

 theory, that a weakened vitality favours the development of 

 male organs in flowering plants. The fruit of the Hautbois 

 race is rich and musky. The late Mr T. A. Knight concluded 

 that all the large Scarlet or American Strawberries (of which 

 F. virginiana, F. chiliensis, and F. grandiflora are the supposed 

 species or types) were referrible to the same species, since not 

 only did they interbreed indiscriminately, in his garden, but he 

 demonstrated that similar varieties may be obtained from seeds 

 of any one of these so-called types. In 1818 Mr Knight had 

 four hundred varieties of seedling Strawberries in his garden 

 (see 'Trans. Hort. Soc.,' Hi. 207). 



In America, Marshall P. Wilder has succeeded in crossing 

 the Hautbois with some of the scarlets, the object desired being 

 the infusion of the rich flavour of the Hautbois into the larger 

 scarlet kinds; but no useful varieties have as yet resulted 

 from this union. In 1866 (July 17) a new Strawberry was 

 exhibited at South Kensington, named " Goodwin's Hybrid." 

 It was raised by Mr T. Goodwin, gardener to Miss E. Back- 

 house, Holgate House, York, from seeds of Fragaria lucida 

 fertilised with pollen from the " Elton Pine." The fruit was 

 about the size of the Hautbois, the seeds being rather deeply 

 imbedded. Although not possessing any very distinct merits, 

 this seedling is interesting to the hybridist. 



The Virginian or Scarlet has given us a very valuable race of 

 varieties, one called the " Old Scarlet," and probably the type 

 as introduced, having been the only one cultivated for two 

 centuries after its introduction in 1629; and previous to this 

 date it seems probable that our native varieties were the only 

 ones grown or gathered wild for their fruits. The first varieties 

 of this race were accidentally obtained, and now, by repeated 

 artificial crossing and careful selection, they are very numerous. 



The Pine Strawberry was introduced from Carolina, although 

 by some it is said to be a native of Surinam. The true Old 

 Pine or Carolina is one of the finest-flavoured of all kinds, and 



