BOOK I. 



STRAWBERRY. 



739 



berries were produced, which, at five bottles to the gallon, gives one hundred and forty 

 bottles, each sufficient for one cranberry-pie, from two and a half square feet. 



4709. Culture in moist soil. " Wherever there is a pond," Neill observes, " the margin may, at a 

 trifling expense, be fitted for the culture of this plant, and it will continue productive for many years. 

 All that is necessary is to drive in a few stakes, two or three feet within the margin of the pond, and to 

 place some old boards within these, so as to prevent the soil of the cranberry-bed from falling into the 

 water ; then to lay a parcel of small stones or rubbish in the bottom, and over it peat or bog-earth, to the 

 depth of about three inches above, and seven inches below the usual surface of the water. In such a 

 situation the plants grow readily ; and if a few be put in, they entirely cover the bed in the course of a 

 year or two, by means of their long runners, which take root at different points. From a very small space 

 a very large quantity of cranberries may be gathered ; and they prove a remarkably regular crop, scarcely 

 affected by the state of the weather, and not subject to the attacks of insects." The cranberry will also 

 succeed when planted as an edging to any pond, provided some bog-earth be placed for its roots to run in ; 

 or if a bed of bog-earth be sunk in any shady situation, so as its surface may be a few inches below the 

 general level, for the sake of retaining water, the plant will thrive well, and being regularly watered in 

 the driest weather, produce abundant crops. 



4710. Culture on dry beds. " The American cranberry," Salisbury observes (Hort. Trans, ii. 96.), " may 

 be cultivated very successfully in situations not positively wet, if only planted in bog-earth, which retains 

 moisture longer than any other soil ; for a few plants, even in pots, which had stood sometime neglected 

 under a hedge, so that their branches were matted together, produced a plentiful crop." Hallet found the 

 cranberry, and also the bilberry succeed perfectly in a dry bed of peat-earth, so that it may now be cultivated 

 in any garden where that soil can be procured. (Hort. Trans, iv. 483.) Milne also found vigorous shoots 

 and abundant crops produced on dry beds of peat -earth, even in the warm summer of 1822. He finds the 

 American cranberry easier cultivated than the common; but some prefer the flavor of the latter 

 (Hort. Trans, v. 279.) 



471 1 . The common cranberry (Oxy coccus palustris, P. S.) (Eng. Bol. 319.) may be sub- 

 jected to the same treatment. " Great quantities of this berry are gathered in upland 

 marshes and turf-bogs, both in England and Scotland. The berries are made into tarts, 

 and have much the same flavor as the Russian imported cranberries, or those procured by 

 cultivation." (Neill.') Twenty or thirty pounds worth are sold each market-day for five 

 or six weeks together in the town of Langtown, on the borders of Cumberland. (Light- 

 foot.} 



SUBSECT. 9. Strawberry. Fragaria, L. '/cos. Polyg. L. and Rosacea, J. Fraisier, Fr. ; 

 Erdbecrpjlanze, Ger. ; and P'uinta dijragola, Ital. 



4712. The strawberry is a small creeping plant, with a perennial root, and, in general, 

 ternate leaves. There are numerous sorts by some botanists distinguished as species, by 

 others considered as only varieties. Knight (Hort. Trans, vol. iii. 207.) considers the 

 grandiflora or pine, the C/iiloensis or Chili, and the Virginiana or common scarlet, (the 

 first supposed to be a native of Surinam, the second of Chili, and the third of Virginia,) 

 to be varieties only of one species ; as all may be made to breed together indiscriminately. 

 The fruit has received its name from the ancient practice of laying straw between the 

 rows, which keeps the ground moist and the fruit clean. They are natives of temperate 

 or cold climates, as of Europe and America. The fruit, though termed a berry, is, in 

 correct botanical language, a fleshy receptacle, studded with seeds. 



4713. Use. The fruit is fragrant (whence fragaria}, delicious, and universally es- 

 teemed. It consists almost entirely of matter soluble in the stomach, and neither there 

 nor when laid in heaps and left to rot, does it undergo the acetous fermentation. Hence 

 it is very nourishing, and may be safely eaten by gouty and rheumatic persons. " In 

 addition to its grateful flavor, the subacid juice has a cooling quality, particularly ac- 

 ceptable in summer. Eaten either alone, or with sugar and cream, there are few consti- 

 tutions with which strawberries, even when taken in large quantities, are found to dis- 

 agree. Further, they have properties which render them, in most conditions of the 

 animal frame, positively salutary ; and physicians concur in placing them in their small 

 catalogue of pleasant remedies. They dissolve the tartareous incrustations of the teeth. 

 They promote perspiration. Persons afflicted with the gout have found relief from using 

 them very largely ; so have patients in cases of the stone ; and Hoffman states, that 

 he has known consumptive people cured by them. The bark of the root is astringent." 

 (Abercrombie.} 



4714. The species and varieties are 



The wood-strawberry (F. vesca) (Rng. 

 Tfcrf.1524.) ; with oval serrated leaves; 

 the fruit round and small, red, white, 

 and green. A native of Britain. 



The scarlet (F.rirginiana) (Duh. arb. 1. 

 t. 5.) with leaves like the preceding; 

 the fruit roundish and scarlet-colored. 

 A native of Virginia. Varieties. Early 

 scarlet, Wilmot's late, common late, 

 Wilmot's coxcomb scarlet. (Hort.Traiis. 

 v. 262.) 



The roseberry (F. iw.var.) (Hort. Trans. 

 ii. pi. 27.) ; an Aberdeen seedling, intro- 

 duced in 1810. The plants have few 

 roundish leaves; larger fruit than the 

 scarlet, and are very prolific. Continues 

 bearing till August. 



The Downton (F. virg. var.) (Hort. Trans. 

 ii. pi. 15.) The fruit is large, irregular, 

 and coxscomb-like; leaves large; plant 

 hardy and prolific. 



The Carolina (F. caroliniewis) ; red, from 

 North America. Bostock. 



The musky or hautboy (F. elatior) (Eng. 

 Bat. 2177.) ; with oval rough javelin- 

 edged leaves ; the fruit large, of a pale 

 red color. A native of Britain. 



The Chili (F. Chiloensis) (Dull. arb. 1. 

 t.3.); with large, oval.thlck, hairy leaves 

 and large flowers ; the fruit large and 

 very firm. A native of South America. 



Keen's imperial, or new Chili (F. Chtt. 



var.) (Hort. T, 



pi, 7.) ; a large 



showy fruit. Keen's seedling. (Hurt. 

 Trans, v. pi. 12.) 



The pine (ff. grandiflora) (Miller, icon. 

 2. t. 288.) ; the leaves small and delicate ; 

 there are two sorts, the red and the 

 white, or greenish-tinted, of this most 

 rich-flavored fruit. South America. 

 Mathven castle. Princess Charlotte. 



The alpine or prolific (F. colliiia) ; which 

 commonly lasts from June till Novem- 

 ber, and in a mild season, till near 

 Christmas; two sorts of the fruV,, the 

 red and the white. Alps of Europe. 



The one-leaved (F. monophylla) (Bat. Mag. 

 63.) ; the pulp of the fruit pink-colored. 

 South America. 



4715. Modes of propagation. " The plants multiply spontaneously every summer, as well by suckers 

 from the parent stem as by the numerous runners ; all of which, rooting .and forming a plant at every 

 joint, require only removal to a bed where there is room for them to flourish. Each of these separately 



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