312 ANNUAL REPOET 



of the United States, yet I have no recollection of ever seeing 

 any cultivated strawberries, even there, until after 1840. Pre- 

 vious to that time the market was supplied (as far as it was sup- 

 plied at all), with wild berries, many of them coming from the 

 meadows about Hackensack, some five or six miles from the 

 city. As to a supj^ly, as we understand the word, there was no 

 such thing known. Although I have no means of knowing posi- 

 tively, I have little doubt that there have been days within the 

 l^ast four years in which more berries have been received in 

 Chicago in a single day, than were ever seen in New York City 

 in its entire history previous to 1840. 



EAELY EFFORTS. 



In 1844 a friend of mine in Morristown purchased a few straw- 

 berries from New York, a great piece of extravagance as it then 

 seemed to me, as wild ones were growing on many of the hills 

 and meadows near the town. About 1847 or 1848 a friend of 

 mine commenced growing strawberries for market which he sold 

 in the town near by. The berries were hulled and then sold 

 by the quart or jDCck, dry measure, as required. The price was 

 usually twelve and one-half cents per quart, or one dollar per 

 peck. About this time two new varieties made their appearance 

 in the markets, viz.: Hovey's seedling and the Early Scarlet or 

 as it was sometimes called, Jersey Scarlet. They were great im- 

 provements upon any varieties ijreviously known, and soon after 

 this berries in our Eastern markets became more plenty. Still, 

 the season was a very short one, as shipping them from place to 

 place, or from the South to the Northern markets, was quite out 

 of the question. So three or four weeks was the extent of the 

 season. 



WILSONS IN WISCONSIN. 



There was no one variety that was in general cultivation until 

 Wilson's Albany Seedling made its appearance, I think some 

 time between 1854 and 1858, the last named date being nearer 

 than the former, though I have no means of obtaining the exact 

 date. It became somewhat disseminated previous to 1861, and 

 in 1862 it was often seen in the market. In 1863 it took almost 

 entire possession of our markets, and for many years there were 

 comparatively few of any other variety seen in any of our large 

 fruit centres. This modest little plant created an entire new era 

 in strawberry culture. It was the one variety that seemed 

 adapted to every variety of soil and climate from the Atlantic to 



