Winter Meeting. 381 



early varieties. In productiveness it has no equal, unless it be the 

 Crescent. 



At mid-season comes the Haverland, mild in flavor, long in shape, 

 and stacks up in a box like ears of corn. It does not set many plants, 

 hence little or no thinning is required. Considerable straw mulch is 

 necessary to keep its load of fruit off the ground. 



Bordering on the late season of ripening is the Clyde. Right here 

 we take off our hat to the largest and one of the best berries on earth. 

 When we get in a hurry to fill orders, we just jump over to the Clydes 

 and fill 'em up. Last year one of our pickers m.idc a record of picking 

 twer.t}'-four quarts of this variety in forty-three minutes. Certainly the 

 Clyde is a peach, and is barred from headin^^- our list of commercial 

 varieties only by its being a little ofif on color and a little bit too soft. 



Latest in order of ripening is Gandy. This berry is our best com- 

 mercial variety, because we can market them after most all other varie- 

 ties are out of the way and prices are always good. It is not a heavy 

 bearer, but its large size, uniform shape and good color, similar to the 

 Aroma except a little later, makes it our most desirable variety for late 

 market. 



As fertilizers for the Warfield and Haverland, I should plant the 

 Excelsior or Clyde. The Gandy is a perfect blooming variety, but 

 blooms too late to plant with early varieties. There are, of course, many 

 other valuable varieties, but these five constitute my list for the economi- 

 cal planter, and for those whose time to devote to this work is limited. 



For the best in quality, I should plant the Klondyke, a staminate or 

 perfect blooming variety, which ripens mid-season to late. It is large 

 in size, rich in flavor, much like the Mt. Vernon, except that it is better 

 in color and more prolific. 



As a commercial variety, the Senator Dunlap, a staminate, is fast 

 forging its way to the front ; but as we have grown it only one year, 

 we cannot say much of its fruit. It is the strongest in plant growth of 

 any variety that we know, and requires a great amount of thinning. 



The Bubach, a pistillate or imperfect in bloom, is one of the best 

 for early planting, but too soft for distant markets. It is almost as 

 irregular and rough in shape as Sharpless, but its large size and good 

 quality of fruit makes it valuable for all markets within its reach. 



The Crescent, also a pistillate variety, is one of our very best for 

 early, local market. The fruit runs small towards the last of the season 

 and its adhesive stem makes it difficult to prepare for use. However, its 

 unexcelled bearing qualities will always hold liberal space for if in our 

 fields, for as my old neighbor Fletcher, in speaking of apples, once said. 



