THE STRAWBERRY. 



151 



The first attempt at a general classification and description 

 of strawberries that I know of was made by the Horticultural 

 Society in the gardens at Chiswick, the report being furnished by 

 Mr. Barnet, the superintendent, and published in the Society's 

 Transactions in 1822. Four hundred samples were received and 

 grown in the gardens, bearing over two hundred names, which 

 Mr. Barnet, in his report, reduced to fifty-four presumably dis- 

 tinct varieties, and arranged them in seven classes. Scarcely any 

 of these varieties are now in cultivation, and the classification is 

 not approved. The simplest classification that I know of is one 

 of natural grouping, adopted by M. H. de Vilmorin in " Les 

 Plantes Potageres," viz. : — 



1. F. vesca . . . The wood strawberry. 



2. F. alpina . . . The alpine strawberry. 



3. F. elatior . . . The Hautbois. 



4. F. virginiana. . The scarlet strawberry. 



5. F. chiloensis . . The Chili strawberry. 



6. F. grandiflora . The Pine or Carolina. 



From these six original species, as I take them to be, the 

 whole of our present race of strawberries have been derived in 

 one w T ay or other. Their mingled parentage, however, renders 

 classification of any sort extremely difficult. 



The first, the common Wood strawberry, is too well known 

 to require any description. The fruits are small and compara- 

 tively insignificant, and I do not know 7 of any improved form. 



The second, the Alpine strawberry, to a great extent 

 resembles the common wood variety, only the fruits are larger 

 and more elongated in form, and the plant has the distinguishing 

 merit of bearing successionally during the season, so that the 

 crop secured from a few well-cultivated plants is very great. 

 Hence, in France, where it is cultivated to a far greater extent 

 than in this country, it is termed " Fraisier de tous les mois, 

 " F. des quatre saisons," &c. Visitors to the Exhibition in Paris 

 this season may note the enormous supply at the various 

 restaurants ; with a little sugar and a dash of " vin ordinaire " 

 they are not to be despised. The alpine strawberry is stated to 

 have been found on Mont Cenis, and introduced to France in 

 1764, but it is also said to have been introduced into England by 

 the Dutch, and grown about London several years previously, 

 and from thence sent to the French King's gardens at Trianon. 



