246 Bulletin 231. 



the same house. The decisive summer pecuUar to this country 

 has probably had a tendency to develop varieties that mature 

 crops of fruit quickly, ripening the larger part of the crop within a 

 few days. This habit is one that is essential to a good forcing 

 variety, so that one crop may be gathered within a short period 

 and the plants then all removed at the same time in order that the 

 house may be cleared for the next crop. 



Merits of Early versus Late Varieties — At first thought, it would ap- 

 pear that an extra early variety would be preferable to a mid-season 

 or later variety for forcing, but early varieties produce only a small 

 crop of fruits and the berries average small in size. This, coupled 

 with the fact that with greenhouse operations one can to a large 

 extent control the seasons and ripen a crop at will, has discovered 

 the additional fact that the mid-season varieties producing large 

 fruits and yielding an abundant crop, are preferable to either the 

 extra early or late varieties. At the time Bulletin 134 was written, 

 a variety called Beder Wood was considered one of the best for forc- 

 ing, although the berries were only of average size and of rather 

 light color. Further testing of many kinds led to the discovery of 

 other varieties that forced as well as Beder Wood, had larger, more 

 uniform and higher colored fruit, and ripened practically all the 

 berries on each plant at the same time. Among these are Marshall 

 and Glen Mary, the former a strong-growing, perfect-flowered 

 variety, yielding a large quantity of fertile pollen and producing 

 fruit of extra size and of a very attractive color. Glen Mary has 

 nearly all the characteristics of an ideal forcing berry, the only 

 fault being that the first flowers to open are almost without stamens, 

 and pollen must be supplied by another variety. If this is done, 

 the berries set readily and swell rapidly. The plants make fine 

 crowns and vigorous root growth and thus are able to absorb a 

 large amount of liquid manure when the fruit is swelling. 



President is another variety of recent introduction that has proved 

 of exceptional value for forcing. It is a true pistillate, and, contrary 

 to our past experience with such varieties, is equal or superior to any 

 staminate form yet tested. The habit of growth is all that could be 

 desired in a forcing berry. It is stocky, has big crowns that ripen 

 early in the fall, a strong deep root growth, and fruit of extra large 

 size and fine dark red color. Each fruit is well colored over the en- 

 tire surface, and is without the objectionable green tip. The flowers 

 of this variety remain open for several days, which means that if cloudy 

 weather intervenes, pollenization may be delayed until sunny 

 weather. A minimum amount of pollen is required to set the fruits 



