20 A B C OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 



are not posted. Tell him whether you are subject to late frosts. 

 I did this when I first started, buying of Matthew Crawford, of 

 Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and he sent me just the varieties for my 

 soil and frosty locality. We made a success of growing straw- 

 berries the very first season, thanks largely to his selection. 



Some varieties are very easily injured by frost the Sharp- 

 less for example. It would be worthless here on my farm. 

 Some will bring a part of a crop in spite of repeated heavy 

 frosts, the Sterling particularly. Some are best adapted to 

 heavy soils, the Sharpless and Jessie, perhaps, while others do 

 best on lighter soil. Tell your grower to send you only reliable 

 standard varieties. What you want is berries, not the latest 

 novelty, which costs high and may prove dear even if taken as 

 a gift. Have the plants sent you by express, if you get any 

 quantity, as they can be sent in better shape than by mail, and 

 you will naturally get larger plants. If you get only a dozen 

 or so of a kind, to start with, and grow your own plants for a 

 bed why, they may as well come by mail if it will be much 

 cheaper. 



I would have none but the very best plants, and new 

 young plants that have never borne any fruit, and that were 

 grown from plants that produced no fruit. New young plants 

 have white fibrous roots : old ones have black roots that look 

 old and dead. I would not take such as a gift. Better buy the 

 best at high prices. I once sent several hundred miles, to a 

 grower who had a national reputation for having a certain vari- 

 ety in perfection, for some plants, expecting, of course, to get 

 some extra-choice ones. They were sent by express, as I wished 

 to spare no expense in getting the best and in the best shape. 

 Well, he sent me all old plants at least I received such. I 

 did not know any better then, but learned by sad experience. 

 Should such plants be sent me again I would return them.* 



* May I suggest to friend Terry, that, instead of returning them, you 

 "heel them in " and await further orders? Where you return things .by 

 express, an additional expense is imposed upon somebody, and it must be 



