56 Strawberry Culture 



characteristics of varieties. No two make the same kind of 

 berries, I might almost say that no two growers want the same 

 kind. If one desires the very finest for a discriminating market 

 he will get little satisfaction from small berries no matter how 

 great the yield. If one is content with what he has and refuses 

 to test new sorts, he is liable to see some of his customers go to 

 competitors for the best berries. Some growers are prejudiced 

 against new varieties because they have purchased some that 

 failed to meet their wants. Some are even of the opinion that 

 plant growers are less reliable than are other men. It is not. 

 easy to write a description of a variety that will convey the ex- 

 act truth to others, but it is safe to say that nearly every variety 

 had some characteristics that made it seem worthy of introduc- 

 tion to the originator or introducer; and every grower should 

 be able to tell, from the detcription, whether it will be worth 

 testing by him. If a grower wants berries for home use, size, 

 beauty and quality are the characteristics to seek; for a near 

 market that is not too discriminating, productiveness is of the 

 first importance; for a distant market, one must have firmness 

 to stand shipping; for exhibition, size and beauty are indispens- 

 able. For the farmer who takes no particular pride in berries, 

 but desires to have his family well supplied with good ordinary 

 fruit, with the least amount of trouble, one of the tough, reliable 

 varieties that succeed everywhere and have a long season, should 

 be chosen. It is safer for each grower to test several varieties, 

 and hold on to at least two; for they rarely behave alike under 

 different conditions, and two or three sorts are more likely to 

 give a supply than is a single variety. One should have both 

 early and late so as to extend the season. 



New varieties are first offered at a high price, and it is not 



