New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 457 



than those of Houghton, variable in number; foliage healthy; season of bloom May 

 7-11 in 1912. Fruit matured July S-17 in 1912, period of ripening long, readily 

 picked, ships well; berries over an inch long, nearly an inch through, oval to slightly 

 obovate, semi-transparent, silvery-green changing at full maturity to pinkish-red; of 

 good quality. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



Prolific is a Station seedling strawberry which has already attracted 

 the attention of strawberry growers, and is considered by many 

 so desirable a commercial variety that it is being planted extensively. 

 Its greatest fault is a tendency under unfavorable weather con- 

 ditions to be affected by leaf spot. This, however, may be controlled 

 by spraying with bordeaux. The plants increase rapidly and are 

 as vigorous as those of either of its two well-known parents, Sample 

 and Marshall. The blossoms are perfect. The plants have yielded 

 at the rate of 14,502 quarts per acre; the fruit matures in mid-season 

 and the large, firm, well-colored and well-shaped berries are produced 

 in great numbers, holding up in size unusually well throughout 

 the season. In color, Prolific resembles Sample rather than Marshall. 

 The flesh is pleasantly acid, and of good flavor and color, slightly 

 lighter in color than Marshall. On account of the vigor and pro- 

 ductiveness of the plants and the attractiveness of the large, uni- 

 form, well-colored berries, Prolific is well worthy of commercial 

 planting. 



Prolific was the result of pollen of Marshall on the flowers of 

 Sample. Seed of this cross was secured and sown in the spring 

 of 1899 and resulted in the development of seedlings, the most 

 promising of which was the variety under discussion. It was dis- 

 tributed among many strawberry growers in the spring of 1908. 



Plants numerous, vigorous, very productive, somewhat susceptible to leaf spot; 

 leaves large, wide, of medium thickness, medium to dark green; leaf -stalks long, 

 thick; fruit-stems of medium length, stout, usually single, semi-erect; flowers perfect, 

 intermediate in time of bloom; calyx medium to below in size, depressed, not leafy; 

 seeds numerous, somewhat raised. Fruit matures in mid-season, ripening period 

 long, easily picked; berries very large, retain size well as season advances, roundish- 

 conic to blunt wedge, not necked, with blunt apex, handsome bright scarlet; flesh 

 firm, well colored at the center, juicy, pleasantly acid, aromatic; of good quality. 



Chesapeake is described in this bulletin as one of the most promis- 

 ing of the comparatively new strawberries. It has several distinctive 

 characters, chief of which are the vigor and healthfulness of the plants 

 and the beauty and attractiveness of the fruit. The plants do not 

 multiply as rapidly as most varieties and should on this account 

 be set somewhat closer. There is but little danger of frost on account 

 of the habit of late blooming, a most valuable consideration in some 

 localities. Chesapeake ripens just before Gandy. The large, leafy 

 calyx is well-colored and adds to the attractiveness of the fruit. The 

 appearance of the surface of the 1 terries is characteristic of the variety. 

 The outline is unbroken by furrows or irregularities in the surface 



