238 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



fruit is large, rich-yellow, of delicious flavour, and borne 

 in great clusters. Distributed in 1900 by Messrs. 

 J. Veitch & Sons. 



Hornet. — A strong grower, of good constitution, very 

 prolific. Fruit in great clusters, round, large, deep-crimson, 

 exceptionally sweet. 



Mahdi (fig. 1035). — Said to be a hybrid between Rasp- 

 berry Belle de Fontenay and the common Blackberry. 

 The fruit in appearance resembles a large red -purple 

 Blackberry, and the leaves are intermediate between the 

 two parents. The plant bears freely, the fruits ripening 

 after Raspberries are over and before Blackberries are 

 ripe. Distributed by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons in 1900. 



Red Antwerp. —Canes strong, yellowish-green, slightly 

 glaucous, occasionally tinged with purple, covered with 

 dark-brown bristles, especially towards the base. Fruit 

 large, conical, dull-red, sweet, and rich in flavour. It 



flavour especially agreeable for preserves. The canes are 

 strong and robust, bearing enormously and continuously. 



[W. C] 



CHAPTEE XIV. 



STRAWBERRIES 



Oeigin — Soil and Situation — Planting— Cultivation 

 — Renewing the Plantations — Gathering — 

 Foecing — Propagation — Enemies — List of 

 Varieties — Alpine Strawberries. 



The Garden Strawberry is comparatively a 

 modern creation. It does not appear to have 

 been cultivated by the 

 ancients, although the fruits 

 are said to have been 

 gathered from the woods 

 where it grew wild. " It 

 was probably during the 

 Middle Ages, or perhaps 

 only at the beginning of 

 modern times, that the cus- 

 tom of growing Strawberries 

 in the garden became estab- 

 lished, with the result that 

 new and improved strains 



originated 



ing to the 

 more amply 



Fig. 1035.— Raspberry— Mahdi. (J.) 



bears carriage well, and is therefore much cultivated by 

 market -gardeners. A second crop is sometimes borne in 

 autumn, but the fruit is both scanty and small. 



Rivers Large-fruited Monthly. — Canes moderately tall, 

 very hispid, with reddish prickles. Fruit medium, roundish 

 or obtusely conical, of a deep purplish-red, in the second 

 crop of a brighter red. Ripens about the usual time, and 

 again in autumn. 



Superlative. — Canes tall and strong. Fruit crimson, 

 extra large and luscious, firm in texture, and carries well. 

 Probably the beat Raspberry grown. 



Yellow Antwerp. — Canes with numerous small prickles. 

 Fruit medium, ovate, pale-yellow, rich, and sweet. A good 

 bearer, not so strong-growing as the Red Antwerp. 



Yellow Supei-latirc. — A seedling raised by J. Veitch & 

 Sons from Superlative and Yellow Antwerp. Fruit as 

 large as Superlative, clear-yellow, with a crisp sub-acid 



plants being 



fed and carefully cultivated " 



(De Candolle). 



Three species of Fragaria 

 appear to have been con- 

 cerned in the origination of 

 the Strawberries now grown, 

 namely, F. vesca, a native of 

 temperate Europe, Asia, and 

 North America; F.virginiana, 

 also North American; and 

 F. chiloensis, a native of South 

 America. From these, three 

 distinct races have been 

 bred, namely, the large-fruited or English, the 

 Alpine, and the Perpetual Strawberries. 



The English or large-fruited varieties are by 

 far the most important. They are supposed to 

 have originated in England about a hundred 

 and fifty years ago from a chance cross between 

 F. virginiana and F. chiloensis, which produced 

 the variety known, and still grown, as the Old 

 Pine Strawberry (Fraisier Ananas). "It was 

 only in the earlier part of the present century 

 that skilful horticulturists began to originate 

 named varieties of this large -fruited Straw- 

 berry. Keens', Myatt's, Rivers's, and Turner's 

 novelties were successively sent out, several of 



