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NOTES ON STRAWBERRIES. 



HE season of 1894 has not been favorable for the strawberry in this 

 locality. The early part of the season was favorable to their growth. 

 Just as the fruit began to ripen dry weather set in, and continued 

 until the whole crop was gathered. The continued heat and drought 

 shortened up the crop fully one-half. Our first ripe berries were 

 Michell s Early ^ and were gathered May 31st. This variety does 

 not produce enough fruit to make it a profitable sort. Following 

 soon was Beder Wood ; this is productive, fruit above medium size, and taking 

 all in all, it is perhaps the best first early berry. There is no first early kind 

 that I have seen that quite fills the bill. Crescent is not quite so early as the 

 above, but still continues to be the most profitable early sort, especially on 

 strong soil. On a light, sandy soil it is not always satisfactory. For a market 

 not too distant, Bubach has succeeded best with me. The fruit is very large, 

 and such a bright red that it will bring a good price in any market. In a wet 

 season it is not firm enough to ship to a distant market. This season it was 

 shipped 200 miles and brought 13c. wholesale for the first picking. It ripens 

 mid-season. 



Gov. Hoard is about the earliest large berry, of good quality, and well 

 worthy of very general trial. The plant is quite a strong grower, the fruit is 

 large, dark bright red, quite firm, and better in quality than most varieties. 

 Saunders^ Woolverton and Lovett are all promising for market and home use, 

 and should be more generally tested throughout the country. Williains is a 

 new Canadian berry that yields a large crop of large fruit ; it, however, has a 

 green tip which is somewhat against it, although the fruit being large and of a 

 bright dark red color, and produced in abundance, will make it a profitable late 

 market variety. Wilson is still grown more largely than any other sort in this 

 locality for market, and will, no doubt, continue to be for some time to come 

 on account of its good shipping qualities. Parker Earle is one of the best late 

 sorts for market or the amateur. It forms very large plants and but few runners ; 

 it is, therefore, well adapted to garden culture. It requires a moist soil, as it sets 

 such a large quantity of fruit that it cannot bring it to maturity without plenty 

 of moisture. Middlefield is a fine large berry of very fine quality, of attractive 

 bright red color ; plant very healthy and free from rust and quite productive ; 

 better for the amateur than for market. Warfield is a failure here, although it 

 succeeds in many localities. The following table shows a description of twelve 

 varieties of strawberries grown at this station. 



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