152 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The third is the Hautbois, a variety at one time well known 

 and verv generally cultivated. This strawberry is surely going 

 out of cultivation, which seems a pity, for no other possesses any- 

 thing approaching the same peculiar rich flavour, a sort of 

 mixture between the black currant and raspberry. The berries 

 are larger than either of the preceding sorts, but it is a notori- 

 ously bad bearer, many of the plants producing no flower or 

 the flowers proving abortive, hence many believed it to be 

 dioecious. A great deal has been written on this subject, which 

 I need not allude to here. 



The Hautbois is the same as the Fraise Capron of France. 

 It is stated to be a native of Germany. Parkinsou, writing in 

 1627, calls it the Bohemia strawberry, and says : "It hath been 

 with us but of late days."' The name Hautbois, or Hautboy, is 

 said to be a corruption of the German f 1 Haarbeere." 



No great improvement that I am aware of has been made 

 on the original. The variety named Belle Bordelaise may be 

 rather more prolific, and we have a variety at Chiswick which 

 was sent to the Society some years ago by Dr. Bennett, of Aber- 

 deen, which is a cross between the Hautbois and F. lucida, 

 from which something may be obtained. The flavour of this 

 cross is remarkably rich. Hybridisers should really turn their 

 attention to the Hautbois. 



The fourth is the Scarlet strawberry, known also as the Old 

 Scarlet and the Bath Scarlet. It is a native of Canada and the 

 Eastern States of North America, and was introduced into this 

 country in 1629. This being the first strawberry of decided 

 merit, was very soon largely cultivated, and from it the varieties 

 Grove End Scarlet, the Roseberry, Black Prince (and probably 

 Vicomtesse Herieart de Thuryi, were no doubt raised. Around 

 Edinburgh, until very lately, a great extent of this strawberry 

 was grown chiefly for preserving purposes. 



The fifth is the Chili strawberry, which was introduced by 

 Frezier into France in 1712, and described by him as "having 

 fruit the size of a walnut." Fifteen years later, in 1727, we read of 

 Miller growing it in his garden at Eltham. There seem to have 

 been two varieties, however ; the one we have grown at Chiswick is 

 of gross growth, a poor cropper, with large pale fruit of poor quality. 

 Mr. Robert Thompson was of opinion that the pale colour of the 

 British Queen class was derived from the Chili. 



