STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 131 



NEW VARIETIES. 

 Bj^ S. G. Shurtleff. South Liverinore. 



So man}' new varieties of fruit are advertised every 3'ear tlaat often 

 it is 'quite difficult to decide wliat to select. Many nurserymen are 

 not reliable, and, without waiting to test new varieties, often offer 

 them to the public with extravagant recommendations. With occa- 

 sionally an exception the}' usually do not come up to the recom- 

 mendations and prove to be inferior to older and well known sorts. 

 As they always charge high prices for new varieties such nursery 

 -companies and their traveling agents, find it more profitable to sell 

 such stock, and generally find the people more willing to buy it. 

 There is too much humbugging done in this business, and doubtless 

 will be so long as so many people are so easily taken in. Experi- 

 enced fruit growers are i?hy of new varieties, but the majorit}' of 

 people have to depend upon the recommendation of the tree agent, 

 .or of unirustwortliy catalogues. How the Jessie strawberry was 

 boomed a year or two ago — which proved inferior to all the older 

 varieties. With me it proved absolutely- good for nothing. More 

 new varieties of ^strawberries are sent out every year than of any 

 other fruit, and nearly all of them prove disappointing. Two excep- 

 tions that ma}' be mentioned here are the Haverland and Bubach. 

 The former seems to give general satisfaction in productiveness 

 wherein new^ varieties usually fail. The Bubach is also very pro- 

 ductive, of very large berries. But the claim that has been m^ade, 

 that it is the coming market berry should be taken with caution as 

 it is soft for shipment, and its season with me is too shoit, not more 

 than half as long as that of the Crescent. 



People generally will not take the trouble to lay down raspberry 

 and blackberry canes for protection in winter. Therefore, while 

 quality and size are desirable, hardiness is the most important con- 

 sideration. There are varieties, which, if shortened hack so as to 

 mature the wood, are sufflcientl}' hardy to withstand ur winters 

 with the aid usually afforded by the snow. The results <>f two 

 years' testing of many varieties of raspberries and blackberries uy 

 Prof. Maynard are given in the following table, indicating greatest 

 perfection : 



