DICOTYLEDONS: ARCHICHLAMYDEA 287 
from a wild species native along the Pacific Coast of Amer- 
ica and introduced into cultivation from Chili about two 
centuries ago. The real cultivation of strawberries in the 
United States, however, began about sixty years ago, but 
did not reach large proportions until after the Civil War. 
Since that time the growth of the industry has been mar- 
velous, thousands of varieties having been developed and 
tested. By means of refrigerator transportation straw- 
berries begin to come north, from extensive plantations in 
the Gulf States, in February; and later, areas farther north 
supply the demand until 46° north latitude is reached. 
The plants propagate by runners (§ 23), which are put 
forth after blooming and strike root; and the new plants 
thus started, either transplanted or allowed to remain, bear 
the next year. These runner-propagated plants are set out 
either in the spring or in late summer,.and are protected 
through the winter by spreading upon them straw (mulch- 
ing). The very common wild strawberry does not seem to 
lend itself to improvement. 
Raspberries are grown more extensively in the north- 
eastern United States than elsewhere (Fig. 233). The or- 
dinary red and black varietics have been derived from 
native American plants, which are more hardy than those 
that have been introduced. The red raspberry is especially 
difficult to ship, and therefore the black raspberry is much 
more valuable commercially. A peculiar propagating habit 
of raspberries is taken advantage of in their cultivation. In 
the wild forms, late in the season, the tips of the bending 
stems (canes) take root and give rise to new plants; in culti- 
vation this putting down of the tips is done artificially. 
Blackberries belong to the same genus (Rubus) as the 
raspberries, and have only recently become prominent as 
cultivated fruits, although in their wild state they have 
been known and prized from the earliest times. Since the 
finer cultivated varieties have been introduced, blackberry 
