242 
THE FLORIST. 
Mr. Rivers, in a letter in reply to mine speaking highly of it to him, 
says: “ I have been much interested in La Constante; it is so large, 
finely-shaped and coloured, and with a nice, brisk, unobjectionable 
flavour.. It is, out-and-out, the best market Strawberry ever seen, 
being so firm.” He also, together with Mr. Turner, speaks highly in 
every respect of the Crimson Queen (English), which I have not yet 
tried. With regard to La Chalonaise (raised by Dr. Nicaise, in 
France), Mr. Rivers says, “it is a large and very fine-flavoured 
Strawberry, almost as good as the Queen.” 
Let us hope, then, that with these admissions, we shall free ourselves 
from the charge of prejudice. La Reine, last year (also raised by De 
Jonghe), I thought a high-flavoured, heavy-cropping Strawberry. I 
destroyed with guano my older plants, and the three fresh ones sent 
late in the fall have not cropped. From my recollections of last year, 
added to my experience this, 1 have no hesitation in saying, that these 
are two admirable Foreign Strawberries. Add to these the Black 
Hautbois, Belle Bordelaise, and White Brittany Pine, endorsed by me, 
and La Chalonaise and Eliza Vilmorin, both Queen-descended, respec¬ 
tively endorsed by Mr. Rivers and Mr. May, and we have “gained” 
from abroad seven good Strawberries, besides the useful red and white 
bush Alpines. 
One word more, and I have made a clean breast of it. While Mr. 
Adolphus Keat and Mr. Milne, respectively from Surrey and York¬ 
shire, were gone to Salisbury with my 96 roses, on June 27, I had a 
very agreeable, but short visit, from Mr. Stoveld, of Stedham Park, 
Sussex, who came with Chronicle and Florist, containing my articles, 
in hand, to review my Fragrarium ; and I am very glad that I stayed 
at home and made such a nice acquaintance. 1 was in my other garden, 
budding Senateur Vaisse, Louis XIV., and Gloire de Santhenay, three 
first-rate roses, and the last good in every respect, when my servant 
came down, and said, “ There is a very nice gentleman, who wishes to 
see the Strawberries.” “ Very good; say he is most welcome, and 
that I will be home in a few minutes.” After the usual politenesses 
were over, we went into my home-garden, and tasted the leading of 59 
sorts; and, at the end of the review, he did me the honour to say, that 
he would not have missed the sight of the Strawberries for one hundred 
guineas; and, that what I had written in various articles was most 
strictly true. Since then, I have sent him plants of such good sorts as 
I had ready, viz.. La Constante, Nimrod, May Queen, Black Hautbois, 
Belle Bordelaise, Bicton Pine, Monstrous Hautbois, and Oscar. In due 
time I shall send Wonderful, Eliza, Prince of Wales, Trollop’s Victoria, 
Plugenie, Eleanor, and Brittany White Pine. These, added to the four 
sorts he has already, viz.. Queen, Keen, Old Carolina, and Elton Pine, 
(Salter’s Jucunda is as late, and sweeter), he will have the British and 
Foreign basis of a first-rate Fragrarium. 
There is one Strawberry here that succeeds admirably, and is good, 
viz., Kitley’s Goliath, and the reason that I have never recommended 
it is, that, in some gardens, it is subject to red spider. It never suffers 
here, and the plants, crop, and berries have been noble. High culti¬ 
vation and soot are sure estoppels of red spider. The Crimson Queen, 
