THE 



VOL. IX.] 



OCTOBER, 1886. 



[No. 10. 



THE ONTARIO STRAWBERKY. 



This new variety was given last 

 spring by the Fruit Growers' Associa- 

 tion to those of its members who chose 

 to receive it for trial. It is too soon 

 as yet for them to report upon its be- 

 havior in their several localities, with 

 the various treatment and in the variety 

 of soils and circumstances under which 

 it will be tested, but believing that it 

 would be interesting to all growers of 

 the strawberry to learn how it had suc- 

 ceeded in Mr. Little's hands during the 

 past season, we now give the substance 

 of his reply to our inquiries. 



Of its origin nothing positive is 

 known. Mr. Johnston, of Shortsville, 

 N.Y., bought the stock, a few plants, 

 some five years ago, named and dis- 

 seminated it. As a cropper it has 

 proved to be a larger bearer with Mr. 

 Little " than a number of the new and 

 greatly admired sorts in the specimen 



► beds." This, it must be confessed, is 

 somewhat vague. It would have been 

 more definite had its productiveness 

 been compared with some of our well 

 known sorts, such as Wilson, Sharpless, 



I or Crescent. The blossoms are perfect, 

 by which is meant that the stamens 

 and anthers are well developed so that 

 there is an abundance of pollen pro- 

 _ ' „.._ _ _._.„ 



duced to fertilize the seed vessels and 

 so cause the fruit to set, without being 

 obliged to plant some other variety 

 yielding pollen sufficient to ensure fer- 

 tilization. 



The berries are larger than those of 

 the Manchester, taking the season 

 throughout, while some of the berries 

 are larger than any of those borne by 

 any other variety in Mr. Little's 

 grounds, and Mr. Little has a very 

 large number of varieties. In form 

 they are " slightly elongated and rib- 

 bed, but never mis-shapen, somewhat 

 resembling Cumberland Triumph." In 

 color they are " not so bright as Man- 

 chester, but better than Cumberland 

 Triumph," and in texture they are 

 " firmer than Manchester." 



The quality of the fruit is designated 

 as " very good, sprightly, the very best 

 for family use." Here again it is to be 

 regretted that we have not some com- 

 parison with other varieties with the 

 qualities of which we are familiar, yet 

 the expression "very best for family 

 use " would seem to indicate high 

 quality. 



The plant, Mr. Little says, is "one 

 of the very best here, it is entirely free 

 from burning in the sun, and from all 



