SMALL FRUITS. 341 



those with perfect blossoms, and, if so planted in alternate rows, will 

 usually produce about twice the amount of fruit of their bi-sexual com- 

 panions. This knowledge now so universal is another of the improve- 

 ments in strawberry growing. 



Thousands of new varieties are being listed every year; and, while ninety- 

 nine out of every hundred fail to come up to the high standard of ex- 

 cellence set by the two or three best of former years, still ninety per cent, 

 of all the desirable kinds for the amateur or commercial grower have been 

 introduced within the last decade. Of the several hundred varieties care- 

 fully tested at the Michigan small fruit experiment station by that emi- 

 nent authority in horticulture, T.T.Lyon, more than forty exceed both the 

 Crescent and Wilson in productiveness, while the Parker Earle produced 

 475,and the Beder Wood 405 ounces. The Crescent yielded but 172, and the 

 Wilson 166, under similar conditions, and, of the fifty most promising, but 

 three or four were known to the fruit growers of ten years ago. 



Many growers are deceived by seeing desirable berries described as very 

 early or very late, and probably no single virtue lauded by unprincipled 

 disseminators prove so seductive a trap as this. Every one wishes to ex- 

 tend the luxury of fresh berries over as long a season as possible, but, unfor- 

 tunately, this characteristic extends to but one end of the season. The 

 very early continue but a short time in bearing. The late are only late in 

 commencing to ripen, and do not materially extend the season, and both 

 are usually non-productive. T. B. Terry says: "Mr. Crawford sent me 

 two varieties, one perfect and the other imperfect. But, nevertheless, I 

 sent and got some of the earliest and latest berries, as advertised, after- 

 ward: and now, after eating the fruit and watching results, I am in a 

 better state of mind for appreciating Mr. C.'s remark, 'What fools we all 

 are, often, that we cannot take the advice of one who knows, but must 

 each learn in the costly school of experience.' " 



The Mammoth was advertised as the earliest berry out, and the Car- 

 michael, through its originator, promised me berries in abundance long 

 after all others were gone. These were just what I wanted, of course. 

 As to the latter, we did not get five decent berries from twenty-four feet 

 of matted row. The Mammoth proved no earlier than other standard 

 kinds that were vastly better — no earlier to speak of than one kind Mr. 

 C. sent me. I found the Gandy also advertised as the latest of all straw- 

 berries. Well, now, you know that caught me again. I did want to pro- 

 long the season a week or so. Well, it did ripen its first berries ten days 

 later than ordinary varieties. It is a good grower, and the fruit very 

 large and fine, but for some reason we picked the last good berries to 

 amount to anything only about "fifteen minutes" after the other stand- 

 ard kinds were all done bearing. It is a late berry to begin to ripen, but 

 did not last year hold out at the latter end of the season. 



Without touching upon the improvements made in understanding the 

 proper requirements of soil and location, or the best methods of plant- 

 ing, pruning, placing runners, thinning, mulching, picking and market- 

 ing, and the minor details of after-culture, I will summarize: The two 

 great essentials for achieving successful results are through intensive 

 culture and good young plants of varieties which succeed in a similar soil 

 and climate. 



