330 STRAWBERRY. 



derns, however, have amply atoned for this neglect. The 

 Strawberry may be considered truly indigenous to Britain, and 

 has been aptly termed by the poet " plant of my native soil." 

 It was formerly cultivated in what is now the heart of London. 

 According to Shakspeare, Gloster, when contemplating the 

 death of Hastings, asked the Bishop of Ely for Strawberries : — 



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

 I saw good strawberries in your garden there." 



Many of the fine varieties of garden Strawberry are ob- 

 tained from F. vesca ; others from the Hautbois (F. elatior); 

 the latter has sometimes hermaphrodite flowers, but generally 

 stamens and pistils on separate plants. The Pine Strawberry 

 (F. grandifolia) is also remarkable for its dioecious flowers. 

 There are other species more or less prized, for the choice and 

 cultivation of which we must refer our readers to the Hor- 

 ticultural Transactions, &c. 



General Uses. — We need scarcely mention the use of strawberries for 

 the dessert. They have this advantage over most other fruits, that they may 

 be eaten to a great extent without producing injurious effects, and when taken 

 alone, or with sugar, cream, wine, &c, they are eqmally pleasant and sa- 

 lutary. The fermented fruit yields an ardent spirit. Aken obtained from 

 twelve gallons of it, one gallon and three pints of alcohol. In domestic 

 economy, a grateful jam, wine, and vinegar, are also obtained from this 

 fruit. The young and tender leaves dried in the shade afford a better sub- 

 stitute for foreign tea than many succedanea recommended for this pur- 

 pose. The foliage is eaten by sheep and goats, but is not relished by cows, 

 and is refused by horses and swine. 



Qualities. — The root is slightly styptic, and when dried, bitterish. 

 The leaves are herbaceous, and slightly astringent. The fruit has a sweet, 

 fragrant, agreeable odour, and a slightly acidulous sweetish taste. It 

 evidently contains mucilage and sugar, and according to Scheele, its acidity 

 is owing to tartaric and malic acids, in equal proportions ; but we have no 

 precise analysis. Its fragrance passes over in distillation with water. A 

 pleasant syrup may be made with the expressed juice ; and, " if the re- 

 siduum be macerated in spirits of wine for some days, the tincture acquires 

 an agreeable odour."* 



Notwithstanding the pleasant and salutary effects of this fruit to most 

 persons, instances are not wanting in which it has occasioned various erup- 

 tions, urticaria, fainting, and febrile symptoms + ; but these phenomena 



* Bergius, Mat. Med. torn. i. p. 439. 



•J* Vide Murray, App. Med. torn. iii. p. 143. 



