44 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 17, 1890. 
Other promising varieties are Laxton’s Latest of All, a grand berry of 
the richest flavour ; Prince Teck, an improved Paxton ; and Aromatic, a 
finely coloured midseason fruit. The American varieties have not yet 
been of much service, or equal to existing sorts. 
For preserving enormous crops are produced by Newton Seedling, a 
very strong grower. John Powell (Kitley’s Goliath) and the old Elton 
Pine are also useful for this purpose. Crescent Seedling, from America, 
is the earliest, and the fruit could probably be gathered at two pickings, 
as it produces a very large crop of small berries, and will prove invalu¬ 
able for jam to start the factory. King of the Earlies would also make 
a fine whole fruit jam, and is very productive. I am of opinion that as 
far as culture is concerned we have reached the best possible, and the 
only thing I object to in our Kent field system is the late hoeing which 
is often given. 
If the land is thoroughly cleaned and pulverised, by the time the 
flower trusses show and before they open it would be preferable to 
finish hoeing at this stage, and not delay the work until the flower is 
out ; but the weather is a factor in all operations, and is often wet 
when such work would otherwise be done. The object of the final 
hoeing is to destroy seed weeds and to prevent evaporation. Great care 
is exercised in laying on the straw or the annual mulching, in May the 
dung is sometimes carried on by rough hand barrows to prevent the 
closing of the soil, as happens when wheelbarrows are used. If short 
stuff is at hand baskets are used. To sum up the culture in a few 
words—deep cultivation, heavy manuring, clean culture, and care in 
sorting the fruit appear to be essentials. 
We appear to have reached the best market Strawberry in Sir J. 
Paxton, but those who have time and patience should try hybridisation, 
takiDg this as one parent. In Prince Teck we have a reputed advance 
on this old favourite, and earlier and later Strawberries that have the 
same characters as Sir J. Paxton would be valuable additions to market 
varieties. At this date (June; 27th) several promising varieties are under 
trial, but must be proved before we can admit them in a list of market 
kinds, 
SEEDLING STRAWBERRIES. 
BY MB. THOMAS LAXTOX. 
When I was invited to read a paper on “ Seedling Strawberries ” at 
this Conference, I felt that there might be listeners who would inquire 
of themselves why seedling Strawberries should require to be 
separately treated, when the history and cultivation of the fruit is 
expounded by the able fruitists and writers who have kindly taken 
those subjects in band ; but looking at our special and most popular 
summer fruit as almost of an annual character, as it gives its produce 
from seed more rapidly than any other fruit with which I am acquainted, 
and to the enormous demand to suit the various tastes and requirements 
of consumers, I do not hesitate to lay before you a few of the simple 
facts and slight experiences gathered by me in a period of thirty-two 
years, during which I have, mostly at intervals of "three or four years, 
continued to raise and work out a batch of seedlings, chiefly by cross¬ 
fertilisation. The annual character of the Alpine Strawberries, so much 
appreciated by our French neighbours, is well known, as they are 
ordinarily and best treated as such, coming fairly true from seed, and 
the produce generally finer than from runner plants. Our so-called 
English Strawberries, which probably contain an admixture of the 
blood of all the edible species, may be treated in a simi'ar manner, and 
may be more quickly fruited from seed than, I believe, is generally 
understood. As these are now cultivated in most temperate and semi- 
tropical climates, and as almost every soil and situation has a peculiarity 
for some particular variety or varieties, it becomes necessary to provide 
sorts suitable for these varied climes and localities. In North 
America, I believe, this has been largely and systematically carried 
out, with the result that a mom vigorous race than we have in 
most of our English and continental sorts has been secured, for if there 
be a failing in our many good quality Strawberries it is chiefly 
that of weak constitution. The health and vigour of most of the 
American varieties leads me to look to these as suitable parents to be 
introduced into our home stud book, for although the American sorts 
are not all or generally suitable for our moister climate, especially in a 
wet season, still their great fertility, hardiness, and vigour, combined 
with good size of fruit, has seemed to me just what we want on this 
side of the water to keep up the health standard and constitution of the 
western European varieties, for our cousins looking at the matter in a 
practical and profitable way have excelled us in the production of hardy, 
prolific, and large fruited varieties adapted for market and field culture. 
By the introduction of the American Strawberry blood we have an 
alliance of two distinctly acclimatised races, and I cannot but think 
that such an alliance is equally advantageous for our artificially pro¬ 
duced and cultivated fruits, as it has proved for the over-civilised human 
race. Now following the lines adopted in America in raising seedling 
Strawberries, the objects which it has appeared to me that we ought 
to seek are :— 
1, Constitution and moderate vigour. 
2, Fertility. 
3, Solidity and external firmness to adapt the fruit for transit. 
4, Flavour and quality. 
5, Size and appearance. 
The latter points many market growers will hold as constituting the 
blue blood of the Strawberry, while, on the other hand, private gar¬ 
deners will put quality in the foreground, as Strawberries are grown to 
be eaten as well as to form captivating works of art. This adds to the 
necessity for providing a sufficient number and variety of sorts as may 
be required for the particular purpose. It has been my folly to seek the 
philosopher’s stone, and to blend all the desired qualities in one. I need- 
hardly say that this happy goal has not yet been attained, and the- 
pleasure may yet be looked forward to by workers in the interesting 
field of seedling-Strawberry raising. But to be practical, what is most 
wanted now are early, main crop, and late sorts having good-sized high- 
flavoured fruits with a firm exterior, the colour of a bright glossy 
scarlet and lasting. The conical or heart-shaped form may perhaps find 
most favour, but the shape should be regular. The plant hardy, 
moderately vigorous and sturdy, and fairly productive of runners. A 
stout footstalk carrying about ten or twelve even and regular-sized 
fruits, free of but not too far from the ground. The fruits of good and 
distinct flavours, it not being necessary that all sorts should assimilate^ 
in this respect, variety and novelty being desirable to suit various tastes. 
And, lastly, if these qualities can be adapted to fruits suitable also for 
forcing, a material gain will be secured. 
How these Ends may he Attained. — 1, By sowing seed from 
naturally fertilised, large, and well shaped fruits approximating to 
the above standard or objects desired. Perhaps the varieties Sir Jos. 
Paxton, Noble, or Auguste Nicaise may supply what is wanted in the 
earlier sorts, and British Queen, Commander, President, Dr. Hogg, 
Loxford Hall, Waterloo, Latest of All, or Eleanor similar advantages for 
the improvement of the main and late sorts. 2, By artificially inter¬ 
crossing the best English and foreign varieties. 
Modes of Operation. —The seed may either be sown as soon as the 
fruit is thoroughly ripened, when it may be broken up and the pulp or 
flesh well washed out and separated from the seed through a fine sieve 
or piece of muslin, dried, and at once sown in a box of rather light soil, 
kept moist and in a shady situation until vegetation takes place, which 
will probably occur in two or three weeks. As soon as the plants are 
large enough to handle they may be pricked out into boxes or potted off 
at once into 72’s and afterwards repotted from time to time or planted 
out as may be required, or the fruits may be dried in a sunny place and 
retained until the early spring following, when the seed may be rubbed 
or picked out and sown and treated as above. 
The former method has the advantage of gaining time, and from it I 
have been able to obtain fruit from some of the seedlings in about four¬ 
teen months from sowing the seed. The latter mode avoids the preser¬ 
vation of and carrying through the winter a number of small plants and 
the attendant risk of loss from slugs and insects. 
I prefer and adopt the former when possible, and time is important,, 
and this I find was the mode preferred by the late Dr. Roden, well 
known as a successful raiser and improver of the Strawberry. When the 
seedling plants are strong enough I usually plant them out in rows 
about 1 foot to 1 foot 3 inches apart according to size and vigour, giving 
2 feet 6 inches between the rows. This affords a fair opportunity for 
testing and securing a few runners during the first two years ; for 
although some of the plants may flower and fruit the year following 
that of sowing the seed many will not, however, fruit, nor can any be 
satisfactorily put on further probation until the second year. Where 
convenient it is a good plan to put out the seedlings by the side of an, 
open walk or path, facing south if possible, as there the plants get 
ample light and air and can be readily tended. 
How and What to Intercross. —Where it is desired to intercross two 
distinct varieties or species the parents should be both healthy and 
vigorous plants, but not too vigorous, and it will be well for security 
and convenience that the intended seed-bearing plant should be grown 
in a pot. The anthers must be removed from the flower to be operated 
upon with a pair of small sharp-pointed scissors the day preceding the- 
opening and full development, and early the following morning pollen 
of the sort required as the male parent should be applied to the pistils- 
of the intended seed-bearing flower directly from the pollen-bearing 
flower, and as there is a possibility of the organs not being sufficiently 
ripe or developed it may be advisable to repeat the operation a few 
hours later ; but the first access of pollen will usually suffice. When it 
is clear that fertilisation has taken place I pinch off all flowers and 
fruit not required, so as to strengthen those intended for seed. There is- 
also an advantage in potting the plants to be worked upon, as they may 
be advanced or retarded for use with varieties flowering earlier or later 
in the open, and the operations can be more safely conducted under¬ 
cover, the protection of gauze, however, being unnecessary for a many- 
pistilled flower like that of the Strawberry. It will be wise not to over- 
fertilise or apply too much pollen, as when many seeds are obtained 
from a fruit the whole are generally weaker than when a few well- 
developed seeds are secured. I have an impression also that an excess 
of alien pollen tends in the Strawberry to a predominance of the. 
characters of the pollen-bearing male parent. 
As to Forthcoming Results, it may be anticipated that as the culti¬ 
vated Strawberry is a cross-bred fruit, there will be considerable variety 
as well as some wide breaks in the progeny from intercrossing, but 
generally the offspring will show characters intermediate between the 
parents, and with perseverance it will be possible to gain the end sought. 
Having practised Strawberry crossing so long, however, it is somewhat 
discouraging to know that Noble, probably the most remarkable break 
in Strawberries of recent years in this country, was obtained without 
artistic intervention. I surmise there are some who will like to know 
its actual origin—such is easily told. In 1884 I grew and sowed the 
.seed from a large and handsome fruit of Forman’s Excelsior (a fine and 
good shaped, firm-fleshed Strawberry on light soils). From this sowing 
