328 HISTORY OF FRUITS. 



Shakspeare says, in Henry V. 



" The strawberry grows underneath the nettle ; 

 And wholesome berries thrive, and ripen best, 

 Neighbour'd by fruit of baser quality." 



From another of his dramatic pieces we are told how 

 early they were cultivated in Holborn : 



" My Lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn, 

 I saw good strawberries in your garden there, 

 I do beseech you send for some of them." 



The scarlet strawberry is a native of Virginia, where it 

 grows wild ; and was brought to this country about the 

 year 1625. Parkinson observes, in 1629, " it hath been 

 with us but of late days. Master Quester, the post- 

 master, first brought them over into our country ; but I 

 know no man so industrious in the careful planting and 

 bringing them to perfection in that plentiful manner, as 

 Master Vincent Sion, on the Bankside, near Paris-garden 

 stairs, who from seven roots, in one year and a half, 

 planted half an acre of ground with the increase from 

 them, besides those he gave away to his friends." This 

 is the earliest sort, and is the best strawberry for forcing. 



The hautboy-strawberry was, according to Miller, pro- 

 cured also from America ; from which we have raised the 

 improved kind, called the globe-hautboy. 



The Chili strawberry takes its name from the part of 

 America so called, from whence it was brought by M. 

 Frazier, engineer to the French king. It was cultivated 

 in the royal gardens at Paris, from whence some of the 

 plants were conveyed to Holland, and from the latter 

 place they were brought to England, by Mr. Miller, in 

 the first year of the reign of King George the Second, 

 1727. 



The Alpine strawberry is a native of Germany, and was 

 planted in England in the year 1768. 



