THE 



VOL. IX.] 



MAY, 1886. 



[No. 5. 



THE BELMONT 



This new strawberry, an engraving 

 of which a})pears in this number in- 

 stead of our usual colored plate, was 

 raised by Messrs. Warren Heustis & 

 Son, Belmont, Mass., U.S.A. It has 

 been tested by them for four years, and 

 they say that they have found it to do 

 well on both heavy and light soils. 

 They also state that the plant is of such 

 vigorous growth that it can mature an 

 abundant crop of fruit, which can re- 

 main a long time on the vines with- 

 out injury ; they having realized from 

 10,700 square feet of ground, scarcely 

 a quarter of an acre, the net sum of 



The originators describe the berry as 

 large, oblong in shape, crimson in color, 

 very solid and sweet, and of extra 

 flavor and quality ; also that it colors 

 evenly and perfectly, having no hard 

 or unripe spots, and is quite remarkable 

 as a cjirrier and keeper. 



This plant is also said to produce 

 perfect blossoms, yielding an abundance 

 of pollen to fertilize the fruit ; and that 

 the blossoms open so late that they 

 escaped a frost which occurred at Bel- 

 mont on the thirtieth of May, 1884, 

 injuring seriously all other vaiieties. 



The Fruit Committee of the Massa- 



STKAWBERKY. 



chusetts Horticultural Society in the 

 Report for 1883, state that the special 

 prize of ten dollars offered by the Hnn- 

 M. P. Wilder, for the four quarts of 

 the variety of finest form, color, and 

 quality, was awarded to this new seed- 

 ling, which in color and quality re- 

 sembles the Sharpless, but is much 

 better in form. 



In the Report for 1884, this Com- 

 mittee states that they visited Mr. 

 Heustis' grounds on the 21st of June, 

 and found the vines to be of unusually 

 strong growth, and bearing an exceed- 

 ingly heavy crop of fruit ; that the 

 berries were of large size, good form 

 and color, quality very much like the 

 Sharpless, and that the firmness of the 

 flesh, and exceptionally good keeping 

 quality of the fruit, must make this a 

 desirable market variety. 



Some of the dealers in fruits in Fa- 

 neuil Hall, Boston, Mass., say that the 

 fine flavor, aroma, and color, together 

 with its splendid keeping qualities, 

 make the Belmont by far the best they 

 handle, selling during the past two sea- 

 sons at least one-third higher than any 

 other berry of its season. The AnieH- 

 can Cultivator, published in Boston, 

 stated last July that the Belmont sold 



