Notes and Gleanings. 171 



To the Editor of " The Journal of Horticulture" 



Very few strawberries are cultivated in this vicinity, from the fact, perhaps, 

 that wild strawberries are very abundant. These wild strawberries are large 

 often, and of excellent flavor. I wish to inquire of " The Journal of Horticul- 

 ture " if the wild strawberry cannot be cultivated, thereby increasing its size, and 

 retain its flavor. 



Much attention has been given, of late, to the cultivation and improvement of 

 small fruits, which every household that owns but a few square rods of land, un- 

 encumbered by buildings, may possess and enjoy almost as soon as planted. As 

 the enemies upon the apple, pear, peach, and plum increase, we may comfort 

 ourselves that strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are left us ; and, more 

 important than either of these, currants, though the currant-worm is becoming 

 a pesky nuisance in some places. But I am inclined to think tiiey can be easily 

 checked if taken in season. Those who have not tried it are not aware what a 

 capacity the common red and white currants have for fruiting under good culti- 

 vation. 



One great value of the currant is, that it hangs well on the bushes, and con- 

 tinues for a long time to furnish the household with one of the best fruits of 

 midsummer. A. B. B. 



PiTTSFIELD, N.H., Aug. lO, 1869. 



[Our answer to the inquiry in regard to the improvement of the wild straw- 

 berry by cultivation is, that it has been done ; and not only that, but finer va- 

 rieties have been raised from seed ; the Scarlet strawberries, including the 

 Jenny Lind and Large Early Scarlet or Early Virginia, being improved varieties 

 of the wild strawberry. As to the alleged superiority of the flavor of the wild 

 strawberry, our ideas agree exactly with those of the following paragraph from 

 " The Country Gentleman." — Ed^ 



" 77^1? Wild Strawberry. — It was once not uncommon to hear the remark, 

 that the wild native strawberry, formerly so abundant, exceeded in flavor any of 

 the new and improved varieties ; and some still utter with regret, as over past 

 joys, ' I never expect to eat such delicious berries as we had in childhood, when 

 we gathered them wild in the fields.' The exercise and fresh air of long ram- 

 bles in search of the berries sharpened an already keen appetite, and gave addi- 

 tional zest to the relish imparted to hard-earned delicacies. We lately had an 

 opportunity of collecting wild strawberries from one of the remaining wild locali- 

 ties ; and the conclusion was, on comparing them with the larger cultivated sorts, 

 that they bore about the same relation to them that the Black Mazzard Cherry 

 does to the Black Tartarian, Elton, and Mayduke. The wild strawberry, com- 

 pared with the Triomphe de Gand, or even with the Scarlet, is small, acid, and 

 seedy, but, like the Mazzard Cherry, becomes much better when fully ripe. If 

 it were a newly-introduced sort, it would be thrust out without ceremony from 

 the company of the larger, milder, and more fleshy improved varieties. To 

 show the high flavor imparted by hunger, we may, as an example, cite the case 

 of the ' delicious ' wild grape discovered many years since in the Far West by 

 some of the men attached to Long's Expedition : they had never tasted any 

 thing equal to it among the finest exotics. It was brought and cultivated in a 



