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Modern Strawberry Growing. 



[JULY, 



Strawberry growers of the present generation have difficulty in 

 recalling the names of " Black Prince," " Keens' Seedling," 

 " Pioneer," and " James Veitch " ; " Sir Charles Napier" they 

 remember, but have probably discarded ; " La Grosse Sucree " 

 is grown a little under glass, and that is all. It is doubtful if 

 there is any real basis for the hope that " Sir Joseph Paxton " 

 will escape the fate of these once-popular strawberries. If it 

 had been persistently propagated from weak or semi-barren 

 plants, the chance would remain that improved methods might 

 give it a new lease of life. But it has not been so treated, and 

 further, as has been said, intensive cultivation does not promote 

 longevity. The suggestion has been made that if new stock 

 were introduced to the strawberry fields and gardens of the 

 south from the north of England and Scotland, the vigour 

 of the variety would be renewed. It is evident that growers 

 have been influenced by the success of change of seed in the 

 case of potatoes. But potatoes and strawberries are such totally 

 different plants that no analogy can be drawn. The question 

 of change of stock is not merely in the stage of suggestion. 

 Some experiments have been made, but so far the evidence 

 seems to point to a reversal of the potato results— south to 

 north is better than north to south in the case of strawberries. 

 It is to be hoped that further trials will be made. 



" Royal Sovereign." — The reluctance of growers to accept 

 the decline of " Sir Joseph Paxton " as permanent is explained 

 by the fact that it is not only a large, handsome fruit which 

 travels well, but is, in a sense, a successional bearer, that is, the 

 first break of fruit is followed by a second of tangible value. 

 In this respect it holds an advantage over its newer and most 

 powerful rival, " Royal Sovereign," which " finishes off " more 

 •quickly. " Royal Sovereign " is a variety of immense value 

 to both field and garden cultivators, and we owe a deep debt 

 • of gratitude to its raisers, the Laxtons, of Bedford, who devoted 

 .an immense amount of patient care to its development It is 

 earlier than " Sir Joseph Paxton " — a fact which goes a long 

 way to restore the balance lost by its quicker finish — if, indeed, 

 it does not more than do so. Earliness, if it be not secured 

 at the sacrifice of size, flavour, or carrying capacity, is an asset 

 of enormous value in a market strawberry. Happily " Royal 

 Sovereign " has not earliness alone to recommend it. It is a 



