STRAWBERRY is the English name of the plant and fruit of species of Fragaria, of which there are many,— F. Bonariensis, Jun., Buenos Ayres.
F. Chilensis, Ehrh., South America.
F. collina, — Switzerland, Germany, hill straw berry, F. elatior, Ehrh., America, hautboy. F. grandiflora, Ehrh., Surinam.
F. Indica, Andr., mountains of India. F. majaufea, — France.
F. monophylla, Duchesne.
F. nubicola, Wall., Elimalaya.
F. Roxburghii, W. and A., Khassya, Assam. F. vesca, Linn., cultivated.
F. Virginiana, Linn., North America.
Species occur in India both wild and cultivated ; F. Chilensis, Ehrh., the Chili strawberry, was brought from South America. F. collina is also an introduced plant. F. elatior, Ehrh., is the hautboy strawberry from America ; and F. grandi flora and F. majaufea are also known, as also F. Roxburgliii, IV. and A., the F. Indica and Malay of Roxburgh, which has also been classed with Duchesnea and Potentilla, growing in the Neil glierries, Dehra Doon, and Kamaon.
Fragaria veaca, Linn.
Paljor, . . DRENAB. Tash, . . KANGP.A.
Wild strawberry, . ENG. Fraga, LAT Wood strawberry, . „ Bunun, also Musrini,RAvr.
Kanzar, . . . Bana-phal, .
Ingrach, Yan, . KANGRA. Tawai, . This grows wild in most parts of the Panjab Himalaya, from 4000 to 12,000 feet. The fruit is excellent when gathered dry, but is largely improved by cultivation. It is cultivated by Euro peans and market gardeners, and in the Bombay Deklian a bed of it few square yards bringa in from .4:15 to .£20 the season. In Bangalore, it is grown abundantly. The strawberry plant multi plies itself front runners and suckers ; the old plant, after it has ceased bearing, throwing them out. In the Dekhan, as soon as the mins have set in, these runners may be removed into a nursery-bed, for their being more easily looked after, and should have the space of 9 or 10 inches allowed between them ; they will throw out other runners, the whole of which may be separated and transplanted at the proper season. They thrive best in a light soil with good old stable and vegetable manure at first, and as soon as they show a disposition to flower, may have old goats' or sheep's manure added around each plant, a couple of double handfuls being sufficient. In no part of the Deklian should the plants be put out for fruiting before the close of the rains, the latter part of September being quite early enough. Suckers planted for experiment at the commence ment of August, grew to a good size, anti did nothing for ten or twelve weeks but throw out suckers, which were continually removed, but, after hll, fruited badly. The finest and most prolific
crop was got from suckers put out in the begin ning of October. Some strawberries were gathered in November from the plants put out in August, but they were so few as in no way to induce a trial of the experiment again. Varieties can only be procured from seed ; and to procure the seed, select the finest ripe fruit, rub it on a sheet of paper, and dry it. When the rains commence, soak the seed in water, reject all that float, the remainder sow in baskets in a light loam, when they will be fit to remove in about six weeks, and should be put in other baskets four or five inches apart, and taken care of until ready to be trans planted into the beds where they are to remain. As these plants throw out suckers very fast, they must be constantly looked after, and removed. They will continence bearing in six months from the time of sowing the seed. AR soon as the rains have ceased, put the suckers that have rooted into square beds, each not less than one foot apart, five in a row ; this will give twenty-five in each bed,—as many as can be easily looked after and gathered without trampling on the bed, and thereby injuring the plants. When the earth is of a clayey consistence, Dr. Riddell has seen the strawberry cultivated on ridges. Some think this is a good plan, but he prefers the beds. It is sometimes necessary, in consequence of flooding the beds, to put tiles under the fruit to keep it clean, but it also attracts tho notice of the birds. lf straw or grass be used, then the chances are that white ants destroy the plants. This it is that makes some persons prefer the ridge system of growing, as they say the fruit is cleaner in con sequence. Fine fruit may be grown either way ; and if on ridges, the same distance must be allowei between the plants as in beds, and even in the latter the plants may be put on mised cones of earth. The common vegetable manure is all that is required at first until near flowering, when a handful or two of goats' or sheep's dung should be pat round the plant, opening the earth, and scraping it together. Water during the evening and very early in the morning.—Dr.r. Birdwood, Cleglinrn, Stewart, Riddell, Hooker, and lino.