THE NINETEENTH CENTURY in England saw the origination of varieties which were quite extensively grown in the twentieth century as well (see Chapter 4). The appearance of Keens Seedling in 1821 dates the time when both England and Europe had their first fine strawberry variety. Most other varieties of lasting use, however, were originated somewhat later: Myatt's British Queen (1840); Bradley's Sir Joseph Paxton (1862), Jucunda introduced by John Salter (1864, Fig. 16-1, 16-2) and Doctor Hogg (1866); and the varieties Noble (1864) and Royal Sovereign (1892) originated by Laxton, whose work and that of his sons bridges the two centuries. Such varieties as these, including the older ones such as Keens Seedling and Black Prince, plus numerous others were grown in England up until virus diseases and red stele root rot became very destructive in the 1920's and 1930's. Then, plant losses and low yields eliminated most varieties from commercial plantings as well as from home gardens. Research work indicated the major sources of trouble. As a partial solution, Royal Sovereign stocks that were relatively free of virus were found and propagated. The red stele-resistant Auchincruive Climax, bred by Reid of Scotland and introduced in 1947, proved to be adapted to England, and it was so superior in flavor, size, beauty, and production that it replaced most other varieties very, quickly. Auchincruive Climax for general market and Royal Sovereign for early fruiting and highest flavor became standard.
A little breeding work was being done inside England at this time, at first simply in an effort to originate better varieties; an effort which later became directed to the production of varieties that were resistant to red stele and tolerant to virus diseases. Sir Rowland H. Biffin, Professor of Agricultural Botany at the School of Agriculture, University of Cambridge, crossed Ekey (of the United States) x Royal Sovereign and in 1937 released the Early Cambridge, which was notable for its vigor and resistance to the red stele root rot. Though still grown, it is no longer an important variety, except as a parent. D. Boyes, who succeeded Sir Rowland Biffin, was Director of the Cambridge Research Station from 1930 to his retirement in 1951, bred many successful vegetable varieties, especially of Brussels Sprouts. He started breeding strawberries about 1930 and was the originator of numerous varieties, including the Cambridge Favourite, Cambridge Vigour, Cambridge Prize-winner, Cambridge Rival, and others, which together made up 80 percent of the commercial crop of England in 1962. By 1953, of the 42 selections of Boyes' that were tested by the trade, 20 were named; No. 42 being named Cambridge Favourite. Boyes, as did Laxton and Reid, notably appreciated the need for hardiness. Consequently, he used many American varieties in his breeding, especially those of A. F. Etter and of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
About 1950, Auchincruive Climax plants began to turn yellow with "June yellows" or "variegation." An attempt to obtain non- or slow-sporting stocks was made, but none proved available and the variety was lost. Reid then named Talisman (introduced 1955) and Redgauntlet (introduced 19561957), both of which are resistant to red stele, with Talisman the more resistant. Tests by this time were showing which of the Cambridge varieties were best and virus-free stocks were soon obtained and propagated. At present about 80 percent of the acreage consists of the Cambridge varieties, 15 percent of the Reid varieties, and 5 percent of others, chiefly of Huxley (Ettersburg 80) near Wisbech only, and a little of Royal Sovereign. The acreage planted to Merton Princess, released in 1956-1957, and bred by Hedley Williams, is said to be increasing somewhat. For freezing, Talisman, Cambridge Vigour, and Cambridge Prizewinner are satisfactory. For jam, Talisman, Redgauntlet, and Early Cambridge seem preferable.
Cambridge Favourite (34-4-5) [(Etter seedling x Avant Tout) x Blakemore]. (Plate 16-1b) The plant is vigorous, very resistant to mildew, subject to "green petal" virus; streaky-yellows have been seen in it. The berry is large, maintains its size well, and is of medium red, firm flesh, and good flavor. It caps fairly easily, travels well, and is productive. It produced about 70 percent of crop of England in 1962.
Cambridge Vigour [US-3378 (Aberdeen x Fairfax) x Early Cambridge] (Plate 16-2c), is large, most resistant to red stele of all, very subject to Verticillium wilt, sensitive to drought, and has some variegation. The berries are large, run down in size, are very attractive light red, of firm flesh and good flavor; it caps fairly easily, early to midseason, and is fairly productive. The crops are early and heavy on maiden plants, so it is preferred in cloche culture It produced 20 percent of the crop of England in 1962, and less now.
Cambridge Prizewinner [Early Cambridge x Howard 17 (Premier)]. The plant is vigorous and productive; the berry is of medium size, bright light red, runs down in size, is soft, of fairly good flavor, caps easily, and is early. It produced less than 5 percent of crop of England in 1962.
Cambridge Rival (Dorsett x Early Cambridge). The plant is tall, susceptible to Verticillium wilt, and productive. The berry is large, glossy bright crimson, fairly firm, sweet and rich, caps fairly easily, and is early to second-early. It produced less than 5 percent of crop of England in 1962.
Some other varieties and their parentage:
Cambridge Aristocrat (Fairmore x Early Cambridge)
Cambridge Early Pine (34-4-5 x Blakemore)
Cambridge Epicure [Early Cambridge x (Euresko x Ettersburg 121)]
Cambridge Forerunner (Early Cambridge x Bellmar)
Cambridge Late Pine (34-4-5 x Fairfax)
Cambridge Premier (Royal Sovereign x Blakemore) x Euresko x B-15 (a U.S. variety x Royal Sovereign)
Cambridge Rearguard (34-4-5 x Northstar)
Cambridge Regent (Fairmore x Royal Sovereign)
Cambridge Sentry (Dorsett x Early Cambridge)
Hedley Williams, who was an assistant to Boyes, was transferred to John Innes Institute where he has continued to breed strawberries. In 1956-1957 he released Merton Princess, a seedling of Royal Sovereign (Plate 16-1a), which is very large, light red, rather soft, and is a home garden variety of fair flavor. Williams is also seeking general red stele resistance, is breeding everbearing varieties, is testing sib-crossing and other limited inbreeding, and is working with Potentilla-strawberry hybrids.
The strawberry industry in Lanarkshire began about 1870 and by 1880 developed into a boom that lasted until about 1910. In 1908 there were 1,439 acres (the peak) and in 1927 there were 1,193 acres in Lanark and 300 in Perth, with 2,670 acres in all of Scotland. Popular varieties before 1920 included Overton (Dunbarton Castle), Scarlet, Queen, Bedford Champion, Leader, Laxton, Paxton, President, Lexington, and others. There was a constant succession of introductions and many, if not most, growers had several varieties. The variety most widely grown during the 1920's was the John Ruskin, introduced about 1900, a very early, firm, dark, small, fair-flavored variety liked for jam. Then the red core (red stele) disease became all important, making necessary the breeding of resistant varieties. From about 1938 to 1950, several Auchincruive selections were grown; from 1950 to 1956 Auchincruive Climax was almost exclusively grown, and since 1956 the Redgauntlet and Talisman have been the chief varieties. In 1962 the crop in all of Scotland was 1,671 acres, with the greater part in the counties of Angus (446 acres), Perth (340 acres), Lanark (272 acres), and East Lothian (259 acres).
Although a few crosses were made in 1928-1929 and a few hundred seedlings grown, practically all of the strawberry breeding in Scotland is the work of one man, Robert D. Reid. In 1930 at the West of Scotland Agricultural College at Auchincruive, Reid began his work on the diseases of strawberries. This work was made a part of the Scottish Horticultural Research Institute in 1951. When Reid began his work, a root trouble, which had been first recorded in the Clyde Valley in 1921, was becoming widespread and it was identified as the fungus disease, red core, caused by Phytophthora fragariae. In a test of varieties, one was found to be resistant to the disease. This little-known variety named Frith had been found in 1918 as a strawberry seedling at Cudham, in Kent, near a Royal Sovereign field and where Givon's Prolific was said to have been grown. In 1933 Reid began systematic crossing with it as one parent to obtain more desirable resistant varieties. His selections -- Auchincruive 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 -- were planted in infected soil in 1934 and remained free of the disease until 1939 when slight infection was found. In 1938 A.M. Sutherland joined Reid and has assisted him since. In 1941 there was a collapse of selected resistant plants in two fields. In later years similar breakdowns of resistance occurred in other kinds. following their selection for resistance, indicating the appearance of new races of the fungus to which the selections were not resistant. Up to 1948, the numbered Auchincruive selections were the mainstay of the Scottish industry.
In 1938 the Aberdeen was imported from America and in 1939 a cross of TD-8 [CC-6 O.P. (Frith O.P.)] x Aberdeen was made and seedlings grown, from which the Auchincruive Climax was selected. It was introduced in 1947 for its resistance to red stele and its other good qualities. Reid found the qualities of the Aberdeen to complement those of Frith. Auchincruive Climax was a remarkable variety, large in size, attractive, high-flavored, productive, late, tolerant of virus diseases, and producing a large second crop in late summer and fall in northern Europe. It quickly became the principal variety of Great Britain and was extensively raised in northern Europe, also in New Zealand, Tasmania, and Australia. In Scotland it stayed relatively free of red core, but in its first test in the United States it was completely susceptible, not being resistant to American strains of the red stele fungus. Unfortunately, it showed some June yellows in 1950 and by 1954 nearly every plant in all fields showed this variegation. With Auchincruive Climax, crop yields reduced rapidly and non-yellowing stocks were not found as they had been with Howard 17 (Premier) and Blakemore in America, and Madame Moutot in Holland.
As Auchincruive Climax began to fail, Reid was already testing selections from his later breeding. Talisman, raised in 1946, was named in 1955 and Redgauntlet in 1956-1957, both from the same cross. Both are resistant to some strains of red core, but Talisman to more strains than Redgauntlet; both are mid-season to late, firm-fleshed, and very productive. In 1964 another resistant variety, the Templar, was introduced.
Talisman. (Plate 16-2a) It is of medium size, has high flavor, is difficult to cap, susceptible to Botrytis, resistant to Verticillium wilt, and mildew. Runners come freely. It is liked in Holland, France, New Zealand, Tasmania, and Australia.
Redgauntlet. (Plate 16-2b). It is large, handsome, and ships well; it is only fair in flavor, picks easily, and is least subject to Botrytis. It is liked for the fresh fruit market, being considered too large for best processing. It is grown in Belgium, Holland, France, and New Zealand.
Templar. It is a cross of Auchincruive II x Cambridge Vigour, made in 1957, and introduced in 1964. It has a globose to short conic, a large to very large berry, becoming dark red when fully ripe; it is firm, rich, and of slightly acid flavor; produces a late main crop; is resistant to several strains of red core root disease.
In 1954 Reid reported having tested 30,111 seedlings from 1943 to 1954 with 7,609 seedlings still under test; 538 selections were still free of red core. From 1954 to 1962 over 102,000 more were tested. Three methods of testing for resistance to red core are used by Reid: (1) Roots of young seedlings are immersed for forty-eight hours in a solution with a suspension of zoospores of the fungus and then planted in vermiculite. After 14 days they are examined for infection. (2) Seedlings are planted in the greenhouse in concrete benches containing naturally infected soils and after 6 to 8 weeks with temperatures below 50 F., the plants were examined and those susceptible discarded. (3) Seedlings are planted in a field which has been infected for over twenty-five years. In field retests of plants from test groups (1) and (2), seedlings are set 3 x 3 feet, allowed to make a group of runners, and kept until fruiting. From crosses made in 1954, 8,314 seedlings were raised and these reduced to 2,755 before field testing. Over a period of several years, the percentage discarded for red core ranged in bench tests from 16 to 54 percent, followed by a further 12 to 44 percent discarded from field tests of those whose susceptibility was not indicated in the earlier test. F. virginiana seedlings gave the greatest number of resistant seedlings. Dr. I.G. Montgomerie has been associated in the testing of seedlings for resistance to red core, which has resulted in nine strains or races of red core fungus being isolated. Other sources of resistance to red core were found by Reid. In early tests Oberschlesien and Pillnitz were found the most resistant, and Perle de Prague resistant in a later test. Two plants of virginiana and one of ovalis have been found immune to the most pathogenic race, and a vesca from Jugoslavia has been immune to all so far. By selfing F1 seedlings from virginiana and Auchincruive No. 11, 12 percent and 58 percent of seedlings have been obtained which are immune to some race of red core.
The acreage of certified plants grown for sale indicates the demand for the different varieties. For 1963 this was:
| England and Wales Acres |
Scotland Acres | |
| Cambridge Favourite | 98 | 45 |
| Cambridge Vigour | 29 | 8 |
| Redgauntlet | 20 | 15 |
| Huxley (Ettersburg 80) | 18 | 1 |
| Royal Sovereign | 12 | 2 |
| Talisman | 8 | 18 |
| Cambridge Prizewinner | 5 | 0 |
| Merton Princess | 4 | 0 |
| Cambridge Rival | 3 | 0 |
A.B. Wills, of the Horticultural Research Institute at Mylnefield, has attempted strawberry-Potentilla crosses, using four diploid, four tetraploid, and three hexaploid Potentilla species with four cultivated varieties, virginiana, chiloensis, and vesca. He reported in 1963 that Auchincruive Climax x P. fruiticosa gave 19 seedlings, two of which were vigorous.