NOTES ON THE STRAWBERRY. 



NOTES ON FORTY-FOUR VARIETIES OF STRAWBERRIES. 



BY R. G. PARDEE, PALMYRA, N. Y. 



"We are just closing another highly favorable season of that beautiful and delicious 

 fruit — the strawberry. The skies and the genial rains have been propitious indeed, and 

 in no previous season have my petted vines yielded larger or more abundant fruit. More 

 than twent}' varieties in my garden presented me with specimens measuring four, and 

 some six inches in circumference. 



I particularly desired a favorable season, because I had quite a number of new varieties 

 to test side by side with other standard kinds — and in order thereunto, had planted in 

 the first place, on the 12th July last, a strong healthy plant of some thirty varieties, in- 

 terspersed with an occasional plant of New Pine, Hovey's, &c., on a long bed running 

 through a part of my garden — placing the plants about two feet apart. I then placed 

 a few hills of the same varieties in rows in other parts of the garden, while the old 

 plants, with a few runners attached, remained in masses around the original stools, so 

 that each variety had a triple trial. My garden, small as it is, comprises in different parts 

 of it, a light sandy loam, a coarse gravel loam, (where it is even stony,) and a stiff clay. 

 It has not been manured, or even trenched, within five years, with the exception of two 

 small beds as an experiment, which was no benefit — and yet in other soils I would ma- 

 nure freely, and trench deeply at right times, if needed, and most soils would need both. 



I was careful to water and fertilize the plants on trial, alike in all respects, and for a 

 fertilizer this spring, I used one pound each of sulphate of potash, nitrate or carbonate of 

 soda, one-quarter pound sulphate of ammonia, together with say two pounds superphos- 

 phate of lime, and two pounds guano, in a solution with thirtj' gallons water — applied 

 once in ten days or two weeks, until in flower, as last year. 



The whole were mulched with tan-bark on setting out, and all the plants flourished, un- 

 checked from any cause. Allow me to note some particulars of the different varieties. 



1. Jiurr''s New Pinehas maintained with me its high reputation as a family fruit. All my 

 visitors have united with me in giving it the preference in flavor, over all others, not except- 

 ing Swainstone Seedling, British Queen, &c. It has also borne largely, and the fruit has 

 been good size, occasional specimens over four inches; besides we picked ripe fruit of this 

 variety June 6, which was three or four days earlier than the Large Early Scarlet, Alice 

 Maud, or any other variety in my grounds, and it supplied my table proportionably early, 

 and this too without any coaxing. 



2. Hovey's Seedling has done nobly, having borne specimens of the largest fruit again 

 on my grounds, and it has also yielded good crops. 



3. Black Prince has again borne finely, and exhibited beautiful specimens of large fruit. 

 Occasionally I have found a berr}'' which proved to be of the most exquisite flavor, but 

 the majority of them have remained watery, and deficient in flavor. The largest, finest 

 ones in appearance, were often the most deficient in flavor. 



4. Jenny's Seedling has borne remarkably well for that variety, rather exceeding Ho- 

 ve3''s in quantity, and only slightly below it in size — while it has proved, when fully ripe, 

 to be of very high flavor — very juic}^ and sprightly. 



5. Monroe Scarlet, one of Ellwanger & Bakry's seedlings, has this season proved 

 under three separate trials, the largest bearer on my grounds. The plant 

 bed produced eighty large size berries on five long foot stalks — the largest 



