Strawberries for the North. 27 



this purpose, each grower must be governed by the value to be added to his 

 •crop, and tlie expense necessary to add such value. It is an important ques- 

 tion, and should be well considered by those interested in growing this little 

 ■queen of berries. 



If you have had a very large crop, as you are very likely to have if you 

 have followed these directions, examine the beds carefully as soon as the 

 picking season is over, and if the vines look exhausted and are throwing out 

 but very few runners, it is better to plow them under at once and fill the 

 ground with some other crop than to try to care for the plants another year, 

 and then not get sufficient fruit to pay for your time and labor. I refer now 

 only to the Wilson. I have never yet been able to make any other variety 

 bear itself to death the first season, but have repeatedly had the Wilson come 

 so near to it that they were not worth caring for another year. If the yield 

 has been only a moderate one, the second crop will probably be as good, and 

 perhaps better than the first. 



Such has, of late years, been about my method of cultivating the Wilson, 

 after more than twenty years of experimenting. I do not consider 200 bush- 

 •els, or 6,400 boxes, an extra crop. I have rejieatedly had much more than 

 the amount named, and sometimes double the amount. In fact, I will not 

 ■cultivate for any length of time any variety that will not yield at least 6,000 

 boxes per acre. Still I must confess that I have never succeeded in getting 

 it from any other variety, the Crescent Seedling alone excepted, nnd this is 

 so soft with me as to make it about worthless for shipping, and not by any 

 means as valuable as the Wilson for the home market. 



Of the many other varieties that have been put forward, had their brief 

 ■day, and then passed away, I scarcely know what to say. 



Some of them have doubtless done well in some places and under some 

 circumstances, while for the average grower they have been entirely worth- 

 less. 



Years ago, when Mr. Knox was, as I doubt not, svicceeding well with the 

 Jucunda, I sent to him and obtained some of the plants, and did my best 

 with them for a number of years. I had some magnificent fruit from them, 

 but do not believe that I ever grew one quart of them that cost me as little 

 -as fifty cents. 



Seth Boyden's No. 30, Triomphe de Gand, Sharpless, and many others that 

 might be named, are large and beautiful to look upon, but with me are 

 worthless for market, or at least for any market in the Northwest. I keep 

 a very few of the No. 30 and the Sharpless, in order to let my friends know 

 that I can grow some large berries. 



The Kentucky has done the best of any of the late varieties with me. It 

 is a fair bearer, and the fruit of good quality. For a late berry I like it bet- 

 ter than the Glendale. 



Captain Jack, Red Jacket, Prouty, Diuican, and possibly some others, have 

 borne with me about one-half of what the Wilson would have done under 

 the same circumstances. I have tried many varieties that were utterly 

 worthless. 



