TITE NATIONAL NTIRSERYATAN 
53 
The Chilean Strawberry, Peruvian or the Sand Strawberry 
(Fragaria Chiloensis) 
By S. L. Watkins, Pleasant Valley, California 
A NATIVE wild strawberry of rank vigorous growth, 
varying in foliage from a bluish silvery green, 
to deep green, and with a peeuliar leathery tex¬ 
ture, the leaves are large, glistening and shining and 
usually thick and tirin with a thin silky down. The 
fruit steins are stout and rigid and usually above the 
foliage, blossoms are very large, an inch or more in diam¬ 
eter. The (}uality of the fruit is exquisite and the high¬ 
est and most deliciously flavored of all strawberries. 
This wild strawberry occupies the coast line from 
northern Patagonia to Alaska; in places hundreds of 
acres are covered with its shining dark green foliage, in¬ 
terspersed with its myriads of snow white blossoms; the 
fruit near the seashore is covered by shifting sands which 
becomes bleached in color. In these wild strawberry 
gardens many forms, strains and sub varieties exist, ac¬ 
cording to climate and environment. The many and 
varied flavors that this strawberry possesses is remark- 
securing as many superior wild typ(‘s as we can from 
Alaska to Patagonia. 
Several years ago we obtained jilants of the While 
Chilean strawberry; this is a strawberry of giant pro¬ 
portions, the foliage is a bluish green color and the h‘af 
stalks are margined with silky hairs; the fruit stocks 
stand high above the leaves, the fruit is a wonderful 
waxy white, slightly shaded a golden yellow^ and wilji 
very prominent red seeds; occasionally a herry would 
show a slight flush of crimson on one side. liic fruits 
are conical, rounding and as large as an ordinary h(m< 
egg. The flesh is very firm and sugary, (juite rich and 
perfumed, but the flavor is totally uidike a strawberry, 
but nevertheless very delicious. The plants of the White 
Chilean are the very largest of all strawla'rry jilants. 
The Red Chilean strawberry is identical to the abov(‘, 
but the fruit is of a rose red color. 
The La France, a strawberry largely grown in FraiuM^ 
Arbor Vitae growiny on the DeKalb Nurseries, Norristown, Pa., xViolf Muller, the proprietor on the right. 
able, that is the llavor of the fruit in various locations. 
Many of the wild types are high class strawberries 
w ithout any hybridizing or selection by man. They are 
by nature a race of large fruited plants, and vary in color 
from pure white to yellow, pink and rose red. They will 
thrive and fruit well in very poor soil, also stand a great 
amount of drought, and will grow and thrive where the 
Marshall, Magoon, Brandywine and other choice x\mer- 
ican strawberries would die out. They respond readily 
to good care and attention. Many of the w ild types are 
very prolific, and are absolute everbearers. Desiring t(^ 
experiment with this race of strawberry plants, we are 
is of Fragaria Chiloensis origin. The foliage of this 
plant is remarkable for its vivid green coloi- ami its 
healthfulness, being entirely free from rust or other 
diseases, and is an abundant j)laid maker; the fruit is 
a brilliant yellow ish w hite, faintly touched on om‘ side' 
with light red. The llavor is I'ich, sugary and siijaub. 
It is a very productive sort. 
The Patagonia is a type of this family of strawberri(‘s, 
and its introducer claims that the Patagonia is the first of 
a new" race of strawberries which has coim' to maki' 
strawberry grow ers rejoice. It is accredited w ith gr(‘at 
vigor, surpassing productiveness, as well as large size. 
