Neighbored by fruit of baser quality."

And this, probably, is still true, for the Alpine and Wood
strawberries tend to reproduce themselves with such unvarying
exactness that cultivation makes but little difference.

All these allusions apply to the F. vesca or Alpine species, and
little advance was made in strawberry culture in Europe until after
the introduction of other species more capable of variation and
improvement. Still, attempts were made from time to time. As the
Alpine differed somewhat from the Wood strawberry, they were brought
to England about 200 years later than the tragedy of Lord Hastings'
death, which has been referred to.

In connection with the White and Red Wood and Alpine strawberries, we
find in 1623 the name of the "Hautbois" or Haarbeer strawberry, the
Fragaria elatior of the botanists. This second species, a native of
Germany, resembles the Alpine in some respects, but is a larger and
stockier plant. Like the Fragaria vesca, its fruit-stalks are erect
and longer than the leaves, but the latter are larger than the foliage
of the Alpine, and are covered with short hairs, both on the upper and
under surface, which give them a rough appearance. As far as I can
learn, this species still further resembles the Alpines in possessing
little capability of improvement and variation. Even at this late day
the various named kinds are said to differ from each other but
slightly. There is a very marked contrast, however, between the fruit
of the Hautbois and Alpine species, for the former has a peculiar
musky flavor which has never found much favor in this country. It is,
therefore, a comparatively rare fruit in our gardens, nor do we find
much said of it in the past.