164 



THE OECHAED AKD FETJIT GAEDEX. 



small, and pleasant in flavour. They are not often cul- 

 tivated. They require the same management as the 

 Alpine, except that the spring flowers are not cut down, 

 but the fruit allow^ed to perfect itself as soon as it -will. 



The Black Prince is a very early strawberiy, nice in 

 flavour, and a most abundant bearer, if the locality suits 

 it, not otherwise. The leaves are smooth, dark, and 

 firm, wdth obtuse serrations. The fruit is of medium 

 size, polished on the surface, and very dark-coloured. 



Keen's Seedling is a good early strawbeny, lai'ge, 

 deep crimson, with a fine brisk flavour. 



The Old Pine, or Carolina, w411 about follow^ these. 

 It is a bright scarlet, large, rich, and excellent in flavour. 

 Stirling Castle Pine is larger, and equal to it in excel- 

 lence of flavour, and Carolina Superba is also a fine 

 straw^berry. Myatt's Pine is fine, but rare. 



The British Queen is a splendid strav/berr}^, as regards 

 size, and it is pretty good in flavour. 



The White Carolina is a sweet, nice, and exceedingly 

 pretty strawberiy, deserving more attention than it gets, 

 and it is also a good bearer. It is such a beautiful 

 strawberiy in its delicately tinted whiteness, that a dish 

 of it is a picture. Some complain of it as w^oolly, but 

 let it only be gathered before it gets dead-ripe, and 

 few will surpass it in flavour. 



There is a variegated-foliaged Pine, which is very 

 ornamental growing, but I believe the fruit has no great 

 merit, and the plants are weakly, and poor bearers. 



The characteristics of the Hautbois are tall growing, 

 rough, pale green leaves of thin texture, tall stalks^ 

 middle-sized fruit, and a great propensity to produce 

 sterile plants, which must be guarded against by rooting 

 up all the unfertile plants as soon as they are detected. 

 Eivers's Eoyal Hautbois is large, fine in flavour, and a 

 most abundant bearer. Mr. Eivers writes, " The ground 

 under my plants of this sort is always literally paved 

 with large fruit of the most exquisite flavour." 



Other good straw^berries are numerous. Eleanor is 

 large, late, and a good bearer ; Eliza is a good bearer ; 

 Elton is a fine late strawberiy, of a rieli, deep colour, 



