48 The Strawberry Book. 



obtain by patient experiment. Still it is well to have an 

 ideal towards which to strive ; and we may say of a per- 

 fect strawberry, 



ist. The vines should be hardy, vigorous, and pro- 

 ductive, capable of adapting themselves to various soils, 

 not making too many runners, and, if possible, of a close, 

 compact habit of growth. 



3d. The fruit-stalks should be firm and stiff enough to 

 hold the fruit clear from the ground ; and, 



3d. The berries should be large, or at least with 

 only a trifling percentage of small ones, of regular and 

 uniform shape, solid, easily hulled, firm enough to carry 

 some distance to market, without injury, not too acid, 

 bright colored, and of the highest possible flavor. 



Large fruit, as a rule, brings higher prices than medium 

 sized or small ; a regular and elegant shape adds much to 

 the value of a strawberry, as is shown in La Constante ; 

 firmness is of course essential, for the fruit must reach the 

 market in good order ; a bright color is desirable, as help- 

 ing the sale of the fruit ; and, finally, we may say that of 

 two strawberries of equal value otherwise, that one which 

 is the easier to hull will be judged the better kind. 



4th. The scale of colors laid down by Fuller is, first, 

 scarlet ; second, crimson-scarlet ; third, crimson ; fourth, 

 dark crimson ; fifth, white. I think his fourth and fifth 

 should change places. 



It is undeniable -that the color of a fruit has consider- 

 able weight with purchasers. In fact, a bright color gen- 

 erally turns the scale in favor of a poor fruit. Red cur- 

 rants bring more than white, and it is sometimes difficult 

 to sell cream-colored and yellow raspberries when red 

 ones are in the market. 



Poor, but bright-colored, smooth pears will sell better 

 than first-class ones, if the latter have a dull, rough out- 

 side. Lennig's White and the Bicton White Pine, two of 

 the most delicious berries in the world, would probably 



