184 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURISi . 



Splendid. — The best g-eneral-purpose ber- 

 ry I have well tested. Not best in any one 

 particular (except healthfulness) or for any 

 one purpose, yet if I could only have one 

 variety for all soils and purposes it would 

 be this for its high general average : smooth, 

 regular, handsome, of good size, of excel- 

 lent quality, quite firm, with a crop close up 

 to Wilson or Crescent in quantity, growing 

 on good strong plants with handsome glossy 

 foliage, as if varnished, that stands up and 

 does its best in any season on all soils, it is 

 indeed Splendid. 



Nick Ohmer — of the Marshall and Wm. 

 Belt type — is scarcely as large or delicious as 

 the Belt but firmer, more regular in shape 

 and perhaps more productive. I think the 

 foliage is healthier than that of either Mar- 

 shall or Belt, and I would sooner plant it on 

 light land. I consider it a valuable variety. 



S.wiPLE (P.) — This is the first variety in 

 these notes which is deficient in pollen, so 

 that it will not bear well without some va- 

 riety near it with perfect blossoms. Other- 

 wise it is a fine variety — strong, healthy, a 

 good runner and a great bearer, fruit very 

 large, roundish-conical, firm, deep colored, 

 handsome, and of good average quality. It 

 is not so particular about soil and keeping 

 runners cut as so many of the other big fel- 

 lows. I have only fruited it once but it ap- 

 pears quite promising. 



Gladstone. — I just mention this here to 

 sound a note of warning. I am not pre- 

 pared to call it a fraud without further test. 

 Possibly the nurseryman who sent it may 

 have made a mistake, so I am trying it on 

 plants from another firm. But as I have it 

 so far it appears exactly identical with 

 Sharpless. I notice, too, that some Ameri- 

 can growers are beginning to say the same 

 thing. Every now and then some old va- 

 riety gets a new label and goes out to as- 

 tonish and disgust enterprising fruit grow- 

 ers. What a pity the fellow who does it 

 can't be labelled ! 



Ridgewav. — A fine early berry, large, 

 handsome, firm, good to eat, glowing-like 

 flame — a good cropper, but does not send 

 out many runners ; fruited on full grown 

 plants only once here but quite promising. 



Wilson — On ''improved pedigree stock" 

 from Michigan, this grand old market va- 

 riety seems as good as ever, but we want 

 something better. 



Carrie (P.) — Claimed to be an improve- 

 ment on its parent the Haverland. I can- 

 not see much difference, but the Haverland 

 is a fine variety lacking only firmness and 

 better quality to stand near the head of the 

 list. 



Tennessee Prolific — Of the tough sturdy, 

 very productive Crescent type, but larger 

 than Crescent, firmer, not so insipid, and 

 with a perfect blossom. Having fruited it 

 only once I am not positive yet as to whether 

 it comes up to the Crescent in productive- 

 ness, but it is evidently a good cropper. A 

 leading grower in the Niagara District de- 

 clared it superior to Clyde one season, and the 

 next year, after fruiting, he said he thought 

 it about equal. It is evidently a valuable 

 market variety. The .foliage is bright and 

 glossy, and it does well with me on both 

 light and heavy soils. 



Morgan (Morgan's Favorite) — Fruited 

 just once, but evidently of great excellence. 

 Imagine a Wm. Belt that will keep healthy 

 and bear abundantly on bright soil, and you 

 have a picture of the Morgan as it behaved 

 with me last summer. On a yellow sandy 

 knoll, without manure, the plants were mag- 

 nificent in size, and the fruit large to very 

 large, beautiful, firm, abundant and delici- 

 ous. 



Magoon — Side by side with Morgan this 

 variety was nearly or quite equal in every 

 particular except that the fruit seemed 

 scarcely so smooth, firm and sweet, while it 

 was decidedly later in season. 



Downing's Bride, Star, Fou>ntain, are 

 varieties that must be tested on better soil 



