Strawberries Origin and History. 



39 



Hautbois or Haarbeer Strawberry (Fragaria Rlatior). 



of Germany, resembles the Alpine in some respects, but is a larger and 

 stockier plant. Like the fragaria vesca, its fruit- stalks are erect and 

 longer than the leaves, but the* latter are larger than the foliage of the 

 Alpine, and are covered with short 

 hairs, both on the upper and 

 under surface, which give them a 

 rough appearance. As far as I 

 can learn, this species still further 

 resembled the Alpines in pos- 

 sessing little capability of im- 

 provement and variation. Even 

 at this late day the various named 

 kinds are said to differ from each 

 other but slightly. There is a 

 very marked contrast, however, 

 between the fruit of the Hautbois and Alpine species, for the former has a 

 peculiar musky flavor which has never found much favor in this country. 

 It is, therefore, a comparatively "rare, fruit in our gardens, nor do we find 

 much said of it in the past. 



There is scarcely any record of progress until after the introduction of 

 the two great American species. It is true that in 1660 a fruit grower at 

 Montreuil, France, is " said to have produced a new variety from the 

 seed of the Wood strawberry," which was called "the Cappron," and 

 afterward the "Fressant." It was named as a distinct variety 100 years 

 later, but it may be doubted whether it differed greatly from its parent. 

 Be this as it may, it is said to be the first improved variety of which 

 there is any record. 



Early in the i/th century, intercourse with this continent led to the 



introduction of the most valuable 

 species in existence, the VlRGIN- 

 IAN strawberry (Fragaria Virgin- 

 iana), which grows wild from the 

 Arctic regions to Florida, and 

 westward to the Rocky Mount- 

 ains. It is first named in the 

 catalogue of Jean Robin, botanist 

 to Louis XIIL, in 1624. During 

 the first century of its career in 

 England, it was not appreciated, 



Common Wild Strawberry (Fra^-ia Virginian* ). but as its wonderful Capacity for 



