Fragaria.

Species And Varieties

F. Virgin-iana: Scarlet or Virginia Strawberry. American Scarlet; Bishop's Wick; Black Roseberry; Coul's Late Scarlet; Garnstone Scarlet; Grove End Scarlet; Melon; Old Scarlet; Roseberry; South-borough; and Wilmot's Late Scarlet.

F. Vesca Nigella: Black Strawberry. Downton; Elton; and Myatt's Pine.

F. Grandiflora: Pine Strawberry

Myatt's British Queen; Myatt's Eliza; Keene's Seedling; Old Caroline, or Pine; Round White Caroline; and Swainstone's Seedling.

F. Chilensis: Chili Strawberry

The Scarlet Chili, Yellow Chili, "and Wilmot's Superb, are the only varieties of this class at all deserving cultivation; and even these are woolly and deficient in flavour.

F. Moschata: Hautboy Strawberry

Black Hautbois, Common Hautbois; Large Flat; Prolific, or Conical; and Round-fruited Muscatelle.

F. Collina Viridis: Green Strawberry

Of this class the Green Pine, or Pine-apple, deserves culture; its fruit being solid, juicy, and fine-flavoured.

F. Collina Alba and Rubra: Alpine, or Monthly, and Wood Strawberry - American Alpine; Red Alpine; Red Wood (F. Vesca Rubra); White Alpine; White Wood (F. V. Alba).

The following is a selection from the best of the preceding, in the order of their ripening: - White Alpine; Old Scarlet; Grove End Scarlet; Keene's Seedling; Roseberry; Garnstone Scarlet; Myatt's Eliza; Old Pine; Myatt's British Queen; Large Flat Hautbois; American Scarlet; Downton; Elton; Coul's Late Scarlet; and Turner's Pine. The chief bearing-time of these is from the end of June to the middle of July; but the White Alpine produces successive crops until November. I have even gathered from them a dish late in December.

Soil And Situation

Any good deep loamy soil will produce good strawberries. It should be well trenched and manured previously to planting. Though they will succeed when partially shaded by trees, yet they are best flavoured when grown in an open compartment, with no other shade than that from their own leaves. If Alpines are planted on south-west, east, and north borders, they will give a succession of fruit from June till December.

"Beds, four feet wide, should be marked out with a foot-alley between each, which is highly necessary to prevent those who gather the fruit from treading between the plants; and lastly, the runners arc planted two feet apart. A bed thus made will last three years, without requiring anything further, not even so much as a top-dressing. Myatt's pine will grow profusely on light, rich, sandy, alluvial soils, near the sea. In such situations other strawberries are apt to throw out too many runners; and for such Myatt's plan is well adapted." - Gard. Chron.

Manures

The best top-dressing for strawberry beds is a little leaf-mould, pointed in with a fork, early in March. A good addition also is nitrate of soda, three ounces to each square yard, sprinkled over the surface at the same season. Bone dust, and charred turf, pointed in with a fork, in October, have also been found highly beneficial.