394 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



EARLY VARIETIES ON STRAWBERRIES. 



T is almost impossible to make a Report this year. The 

 crop was so badly injured by a week's hard frost at 

 blooming time, and that followed by a long season of 

 hot dry weather, that it was impossible for any variety to 

 do its best. This fact must be kept in mind in what 

 follows, especially in the illustrations. These are at 

 least }l smaller than they would have been if they had had a good shower 

 during the time they were maturing. The cuts are the exact size of berries that 

 grew on the respective varieties this season of 1895. I shall first present 6 or 

 8 of the best extra early and early sorts, to be followed by 8 or 10 of the best 

 medium varieties, and, lastly, by the best late kinds. These are selected out 

 of some 140 of the best named kinds that are now before the public, the simple 

 facts as they presented themselves are given, with regard to each kind now offered 

 to the readers of the Horticulturist. The Clyde did best of all ; Beder Wood 

 came next. Some of the varieties that had the flower-stems and flowers frozen, 

 sent up a secondary set, notably the Clyde and Beder Wood ; some did not. 

 The Haverland, Bubach and Van Deman were among those hurt the worst, and 

 did not recover, only producing a very few berries ; what fruit there was was 

 small and ill-shaped, not typical berries, of many of the kinds. 



1. Van Deman (S). — One of the earliest, an extra 

 early is the Van Deman. A seedling of Crescent, crossed 

 with Capt. Jack, and comes from Arkansas. The plant is 

 a free grower, making a wide matted row, and when allowed 

 to grow too thick, rusts somewhat ; the season is extra early, 

 a few days before Michel's Early. Size : the fruit is large 

 and very beautiful, a box of them fairly compelling you to 

 look at them ; the berries look as if varnished and set with 

 golden seeds, they are a grand sight ; one of the good things 

 about them is, the quality is as fine as the look, they are 

 first quality and firm, and, lastly, very productive. The best 

 to fertilize Haverland, Warfield, Bubach and other early 

 pistillates. The great danger with the Van Deman is, it is often caught by the 

 frost, it is so early to bloom and fruit. This is the fourth year of fruiting. 



2. Michel's Early (S). —A chance seedling, thought 

 to be from Crescent, by J. T. Michel, of Arkansas. The 

 plant is a wonderfully vigorous grower, making plants by 

 the million. The season is very early, only a few days after 

 Van Deman. The size of fruit is small to medium. The 

 quality is fair and medium in firmness. The great fault 

 with it is, it lacks in productiveness ; if you could secure 

 $1 per box they might pay, and yet in some soils and sec- 

 tions of country, it is said Michel's Early is more than aver- 

 age in productiveness ; but where there is one favorable 



Fig. 8S9. 

 Van Deman. 



Fig. 840. 

 Michel's Early. 



