200 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



I am asked a great many times the best varieties of strawberries. 

 This is hard to answer. But in my experience of the past ten years, 

 during which I have tested a great many old and new sorts, if con- 

 fined to only one berry, it would be without doubt the Parker Earl. 

 This berry comes as near filling the bill as any berry I have fruited, 

 and is bound to become popular, not only on account of its great pro- 

 ductiveness, but also by its remarkable resistance to the drouth. It 

 is a large berry, good quality, and one of the most vigorous, healthiest 

 looking plants, with a great mass of roots extending out twelve to fif- 

 teen inches. It is perfect in blossom and is the berry for those that 

 do not wish to bother with fertilizing the imperfect sorts. 



Next to the Parker Earl I place the Warfield, the greatest market 

 berry of the present time, which produces more fruit of uniform size 

 to the square rod than any berry I have grown. It is very handsome, 

 good in quality, and ripens a few days after the Crescent. It is a fa- 

 vorite everywhere. For an early berry it is hard to give up the Cres- 

 cent, but we are setting it more sparingly each year. After the second 

 year it is worthless as a market berry. The Warfield at this time is 

 more attractive and will outsell it on any market, yet I believe it to \>e 

 the berry for the family garden, as it will produce fair crops when 

 only half tended, and sometimes when not tended at all ; while other 

 berries under similar treatment would produce scarcely any fruit. 



Haverland is a very large, productive berry, but must be well cul- 

 tivated and mulched. It is a very poor berry for the family garden. 



I have fruited the much praised Bubach No. 5 five years, and have 

 failed to see anything yet to recommend in it. It is nothing more 

 than a large show berry. 



Beder Wood is a medium sized berry, productive, and inclined to 

 be small during a dry season. It is one of the best pollenizers for 

 Warfield, Crescent, and Haverland. We set two rows of Beder Wood 

 to four of Warfield, Crescent, or Haverland. 



Michel's Early is a complete failure, also May King and Gandy. 

 Captain Jack is a favorite with many; while we have other berries 

 preferable, it is yet too good a pollenizer to set aside. 



The low price has created a demand for a very productive, liealthy, 

 vigorous berry, so we have discarded Cumberland, Miner, Sharpless, 



