Mitraria coccinea. 263 



wide, sometimes rather deep and narrow ; core small ; seed 

 very small, plump, acuminate, greyish brown ; flesh yellow- 

 ish white, crisp ; flavor pleasant ; quality "i^ery ^ooc?." Said 

 to be a long keeper. — From Dr. Bertolet, of Oley Township, 

 Berks County, Pennsylvania. 



New Strawberries. — Q^uite a number of new varieties 

 have been recently raised by the English and Continental 

 cultivators, but we believe only a few of them have obtained 

 a high reputation. The British Queen and Keen's Seedling 

 appear yet to stand at the head of all that have been exhib- 

 ited. Two new sorts, however, were offered for sale last 

 year, one of which, at least, promises to rival, if not excel, 

 the British dueen. These sorts are Nicholson's Ajax and 

 Ruby. We annex the following descriptions of them : — 



Ajax. — Fruit of a fine globular shape ; color a rich, dark 

 crimson ; remarkably juicy, and high flavored. The Ajax 

 was exhibited in Covent Garden last year ; nine of the ber- 

 ries weighed 16 oz., and measured nine inches in circumfer- 

 ence. Fruit often coxcomb shape, but in general form re- 

 sembles Keen's Seedling. It is a staminate variety. 



Ruby. — Color ruby ; shape fine oval ; size a little less than 

 the " Q,ueen ; " of fine flavor, very prolific, and continues 

 bearing much longer than any other variety, fruit having 

 been gathered from it, last season, up to the 25th August. It 

 is a most prolific bearer, and the parent plant, six years old, 

 produced 146 perfect berries last season. 



Art. V. Mitraria coccinea, its Cultivation and Treatment. 

 By the Editor. 



Few greenhouse plants of recent introduction possess more 

 attractions than the Mitraria coccinea, (jig. 21.^ With a habit 

 somewhat similar to the fuchsia, but with a tiny and delicate 

 foliage, — with flowers resembling a heath, but four times as 

 large, — and blooming as it does during all the winter and 

 spring months, few can claim a greater share of the amateur's 



