542 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



fourteenth century in France. The Royal Gardens at the Louvre 

 under Charles V. possessed no fewer than 1200 plants, and many other 

 records testify to the appreciation of the fruit by its presence in 

 French gardens at this period. 



From this time onwards this Strawberry has been under cultiva- 

 tion in gardens, and it will be interesting to see what improvement 

 this long-continued period has effected. 



The earliest illustration of the Strawberry in the Middle Ages 

 is that to be found in the Mainz Herbarius of 1454 (p. 63), and a better 

 illustration still is found in the Gart der Gesuntheit (Ortus sanitatis), 

 Mainz, 1454, cap. 190. 



The first work in which Strawberries are treated purely from the 

 horticultural standpoint was the Theatre d' Agriculture of Olivier de 

 Serres, 1600. Here we find the Strawberry valued as much for 

 its decorative use as for its fruit. It is recommended that plants 

 should be taken from the woods, as the transplantation to fresh 

 soils will increase the size of the fruits. This improvement, however, 

 was recognized to be due only to the freedom from competition with 

 other plants and to the extra vigour obtained by the removal of 

 runners. The wild Strawberry had therefore at this time been grown 

 as a garden plant for some 300 years, and no improved variety had 

 so far been recorded. This fact is worthy of notice, as at this time 

 the American varieties, which have played so important a part in the 

 development of the modern Strawberry, had not yet reached Europe. 

 There are, therefore, no complications of cross-breeding, and the 

 effect of cultivation alone is concerned, and in this case it did not 

 cause any improvement of the type. 



It may be here objected that varieties of F. vesca of increased 

 size do now exist, and that they may not have arisen through cross- 

 breeding but by continued cultivation. There are, however, instances 

 recorded where large-fruited forms have been found in a wild state. 

 In Weston's Botany, vol. iii. p. 325, is mentioned the Northumber- 

 land Wood Strawberry " the size of a small nutmeg, finer than the 

 garden kind." This was found wild by a stream near Newcastle. 



From this and analogous cases it is evident that the production 

 of large-fruited forms is not always and only associated with cultiva- 

 tion. 



The history of the modern Strawberry may be said to date from 

 the early seventeenth century, as the introduction of F. virginiana 

 took place about this time ; but before we study the influence of 

 this new species the varieties of F. vesca which have appeared may be 

 briefly considered. In 1890 the curious F. eflagellis was first men- 

 tioned. This form, as its name indicates, produces no runners, and 

 its compact habit has given rise to the name " fraisier buisson." This 

 is obviously a variety produced by the loss of a unit character, and 

 cannot be claimed as a horticultural improvement. It is interesting 

 to note that large-fruited varieties have also given seedlings which 

 failed to form runners. 



