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Thomas Laxton
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Thomas
Laxton began experiments in breeding in 1865 and conducted experiments for Charles
Darwin, mainly with peas.
He began the most extensive
and continuous strawberry breeding program ever attempted in the late
nineteenth century in England and began introducing strawberry varieties
from his work as early as 1872.
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His first great success and the only variety
he introduced that was not a handmade cross was the Noble (1884), a seedling
of Excelsior that had been planted next to the American Sharpless. Until the
last few years it was a major early variety of many countries. It was
notable for its earliness, its resistance to cold and to disease. Even in
1960 many acres were grown in Italy and in Scandinavia.
King of the Earlies
(Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury x Black Prince) was introduced in 1888. In
1892, came Laxton's other great variety, Royal Sovereign, nearly equal to
Keens Seedling in significance. It was a cross of Noble x King of the
Earlies. It had an American variety, Sharpless, in its ancestry. The
earliness, excellent flavor, beauty, productiveness, hardiness and
relatively good handling quality made it of great importance in Great
Britain and on the Continent. Its weaknesses are its great susceptibility to
mildew and to virus diseases. After more than seventy years, it is still
raised in many parts of Europe.
Thomas Laxton originated seventeen varieties
himself and after his sons took over the work in the 1890's, they along with
their sons introduced 47 more. Scarlet Queen, Leader,
Fillbasket, the Laxton, Latest, Latest of All, Bedford Champion and Duke,
were some of the more notable of the other varieties.
Laxton understood the weaknesses
of European varieties better than other breeders in the 19th century. The
European varieties were not hardy and needed to be
hybridized with stronger American varieties. He once said that he had raised
at least 10,000 seedlings over his 32 years of breeding strawberries.
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