U'ijiter fleeting. 377 



As the Michel was once the leading early variety, the Warfield the 

 leading mid-season variety, so the Gandy was the main late variety. 

 But varieties of strawberries, like everything else, seem to have their 

 day, and then are pushed aside by other varieties which have improved 

 qualities. 



The Aroma has now become the leading late variety in Southern Alis- 

 souri; in fact, it can properly be said to be the favorite variety of all 

 varieties in this section. We believe it approaches closer the ideal type 

 of strawberry than any other ever grown under our observation. It is 

 suited to more varieties of soil than the Gandy, and is a much more 

 reliable fruiter ; though if planted on cold, wet soil, or too thin soil, it is 

 apt to winter-kill, if all conditions are not very favorable. It is a mod- 

 erate plant maker of large plants with healthy foliage. While it com- 

 mences to ripen some fruit about the middle of mid-season, the larger 

 part of its crop is matured after the mid-season varieties have played 

 out. It is productive of very large fruit, regular in size and shape, and 

 deep red in color clear through. From beds properly cultivated, 90 to 

 100 per cent, of the yield will pass as "A" grade. There is no ques- 

 tion but what it is a grand variety, but its lateness may be the cause of 

 its undoing, or rather the undoing of the growers. 



Nearly every shipping point in Southern Missouri has a large 

 acreage in late varieties. Probably over eighty per cent, of the acre- 

 age at Neosho is Aroma, and Pierce City, Monett and Sarcoxie each 

 have a large acreage in this variety. East of Monett the main shipping 

 points seem to be inclined, by nature of soil or taste, to Gandy and Sam- 

 ple, both late varieties. 



We believe we can say, without prejudice, that it is the day of 

 the late variety craze in Southern Missouri; and the end is not yet, for 

 three-fourths, if not more, of the acreage planted in this section in 

 1906 will be late varieties. We don't know what the harvest will be, 

 but undoubtedly sooner or later the supply of late varieties is going to 

 be out of proportion to the demand for that season's fruit. 



We hold with the late D. AIcNallie, that in raising commercial 

 strawberries, three chances, early, medium and late, are better than one 

 alone. 



W'hile we have devoted most of our paper to the Texas, Haver- 

 land and Aroma, there are several other reliable varieties that are 

 grown in Southern Missouri. As early, we would mention Johnson's 

 and Excelsior. As second early, the Lady Thompson and Klondike. 

 The well-known Lady Thompson is being succeeded in the more south- 

 ern states by the Klondike, which is much firmer and better colored. 



