SUMMER MEETING. 00 



STRAWBERRIES FOR MARKET. 



A short paper on this general topic was sent by W. A. Brown, of Benton 

 Harbor : 



Yonr note requesting a few words regarding the adaptation of varieties of 

 strawberries to different markets is received. 



With us the Wilson has long been the best general purpose market berry, 

 but heing stricken with rust must go. Except in very few localities the Wil- 

 son is being condemned on account of blight, and the question of which of the 

 newer varieties is to take the place of the Wilson demands the most serious 

 consideration by our market growers. 



With nothing in sight to take the place of the Wilson, it is with extreme 

 reluctance that we bid good-by to our old long time friend. I will not attempt 

 to recapitulate the many different causes which are given for the failure of the 

 Wilson ; but the fact is brought home to us, that by reason of blight in the 

 foliage it will not be planted in the future here in Berrien county. 



Now when we review the long list of strawberries which have been intro- 

 duced with "great expectations," not one can be found without serious faults, 

 which will condemn them all in the estimation of the large grower for distant 

 markets; but as a substitute must be found, the berry which produces the 

 most with the least care, and withstands blight and frost the best will be 

 chosen. 



In connection with this subject you will pardon me if I relate a little joke 

 which was perpetrated upon about 200 of our strawberry growers by a wily 

 propagator who lives over the line in Van Buren county. This Eev. propa- 

 gandist had a fine field of strawberries, which he christened the "Great Amer- 

 ican," and by persistent canvassing, and by calling to his aid one of our grow- 

 ers who was not "well up " on varieties, he sold many thousands in small lots 

 at big prices. This season the denouement has come, and with many grimaces 

 the victims have acknowledged the fact that their "Great Americans" are the 

 true Crescent. Now while recognizing the duplicity or ignorance of the prop- 

 agator (who was told that the true Great American was a big humbug), they 

 are winking at the sin of ignorance, and congratulating themselves upon ob- 

 taining in the Crescent the coming berry. 



It is a fact that the Crescent has been substituted for the Wilson in the most 

 of the great strawberry regions in the South, and with the out-going of the 

 Wilson, and as no better variety has been proved, the Crescent is probably the 

 coming- berrv here. 



It has many faults, however; being pistillate, it cannot long retain popular- 

 ity with the large grower. It is a great producer, and is soft on the market 

 when fully ripe, but being picked green in the South, and coming to Northern 

 markets during May and early June it carries very well ; better than with us at 

 a later season, when much warmer. If planted here as extensively as the Wil- 

 son, the great fault in the Crescent will prove an over-production of poor, soft 

 berries. In the South the question is which of the varieties is best for fertil- 

 izing. The Crescent appears to be of much importance, the Sharpless being 

 considered best by many growers. 



The Sharpless is becoming the leading market berry at Barnesville, 0., and 

 at other points, and I believe we have no better well-tried berry for general 

 purposes than the Sharpless, except that it is not adapted to light soils or 

 frosty locations. Very true, it is not a great producer, and this is one of its- 



