196 



Modern Strawberry Growing. 



[JULY, 



under trial shall be subjected to the same conditions as they 

 would have when planted in quantity. To test a variety 

 destined for open field culture in specially prepared soil in a 

 sheltered garden might raise hopes that would ultimately be 

 dashed to the ground. Given these two conditions, a trial 

 station has everything to recommend it, and the small cost 

 will be more than balanced by the interest that it will yield. 



" Bedford Champion." — A variety that is distinguished for 

 the immense size of its fruits is " Bedford Champion," which 

 sprang from the union of two seedlings, themselves unnamed. 

 One of these seedlings came from a cross between the varieties 

 " Scarlet Queen " and " John Ruskin " — the latter a very small- 

 fruited sort. The other came from a cross between " Noble,' * 

 an early variety of poor flavour, and " Sir Joseph Paxton." 

 " Bedford Champion " cannot be said to show much in common 

 with any of its four grandparents. It is a quite distinct and 

 prodigiously vigorous variety, but T do not see in it quite a 

 popular market sort, although it is said to travel well. 



" Reward."— A variety very remarkable for colour is 

 " Reward," which Laxtons secured from a cr^ss between 

 " Royal Sovereign " and " British Queen." The last-named 

 has long been famous for its fine flavour, and notorious 

 for its poor constitution. So luscious is it, that we have got into 

 a way of quoting " Queen flavour " as the standard by which to 

 judge a variety. So poor a grower is it, that the great majority 

 of cultivators discarded it many years ago. " Reward " is quite 

 in the early trial stage yet, but I already have serious misgivings 

 about it. It is the weakest variety, by many degrees, in all 

 my trials, and looks like dying out, although its companions 

 are healthy and vigorous. Either it is inherently weak in con- 

 stitution, or it does not like a cold clay soil. Reluctant to 

 hav^ to condemn a variety of such fair promise, I shall watch 

 its progress in a larger trial on the lighter, warmer soil at Wye 

 with hopeful interest. 



" The Bedford." — Another main-crop variety which has 

 received some attention is " The Bedford," a cross between 

 " Dr. Hogg " and " Sir Charles Napier." The former is one of 

 our best-flavoured strawberries, and is by no means a bad 

 grower, although not of the best in this respect. " Sir Charles 

 Napier " is an old variety, once highly esteemed, but now 



