Summer Meeting'. 43 



"ii 



overrule his better judgment, so the promoters of paper colored berries 

 find ready sale for their prodigies, and the merry war continues from 

 year to year. 



. The present spring the writer read a circular from the introducer of 

 a new variety — "The Lazy Man's Berry," for the man who belonged to the 

 No Sweat Club. This he claimed would do no good if cultivated, 

 but should be grown only in fence corners, blue grass pastures or any 

 place where it should be left to its own way of growing when it would 

 completely and utterly kill out all grass, weeds, buck brush, etc., and 

 produce berries so profusely that you could simply scoop up the berries 

 by the bushel. I did not purchase, because our Boonville market can only 

 consume so many, no more. 



But enough of this — ^I think it a good plan to get a few plants of 

 these new varieties each season and test and try them, as that is the 

 only way any one can determine their value. Of course all of you know 

 that strawberries are divided into two general classes ; perfect bloomers 

 or staminate and imperfect or pistillate; the latter class I regard as the 

 most productive when properly fertilized and some of our best varieties 

 are found in this class. To my mind a perfect berry should have, first — 

 vigor in plant growth, strong, healthy foliage and good system of roots. 

 The fruit should have size, color, good flavor, good shape, be smooth, firm, 

 and productive. But alas, how many possess all these good qualities? 

 Nearly every one is lacking in one or more of these essential points, some 

 have size and color, but not productive, others poor color, not attractive 

 to the eye, etc. At the same time, soil and surroundings have a great deal 

 to do with making perfect berries and what does well in one locality fails 

 in another. For example, the famous Flood River berry of Oregon, 'tis 

 said, will do no good in any other valley or place except its native home. 

 To enter into a minute description of each variety that has been grown 

 or tested by the writer in the past 20 years would consurhe too much 

 time and space. I will say here that more new varieties have proved 

 disappointments, some highly recommended are utter failures, so that the 

 only safe plan for any one in making a selection of varieties is to plant 

 and test for themselves and when a variety is found that succeeds, then 

 siick to it. 



I am fruiting the following varieties, the present season: Aroma. 

 Bubach, Bederwood, Brandywine, Clyde. Excelsior, Gandy, Greenville, 

 Haverland, Klondyke, Michell's Early, Monitor, Parker Earle, Robinson. 

 Ridgeway, Seafgrd, Splendid, Up-to-Date, Warfield and an early variety, 

 •don't know the name and pass my opinion. 



, A.roma. vigorous plant, large, soft, not productive; Bubach. vigorous 

 plant, healthy, large, good color, productive ; Bederwood, small plant. 



