A B C OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 51 



CHAPTER IX. 



A TAI,K ON VARIETIES. 



Every year there are a number of new varieties of straw- 

 berries brought before the public. Each one is usually better 

 than any thing that was ever introduced before, if we may be- 

 lieve all that is said about it. Well, now, it is a nice thing to 

 have so many horticulturists trying to bring out strawberries 

 that are better than any thing we have. Without such men we 

 should not have the improvement of the last fifty years. The 

 first improved strawberry of importance, Mr. C. A. Green says, 

 was the Hovey, which originated with Mr. Hovey, of Boston, 

 in 1834. After that came the Wilson, then the Downing, Cres- 

 cent, Sharpless, etc., until now we have a great many varieties. 

 It is a fact, however, that of these new varieties brought out, 

 not one in ten turns out in the end to be any real improvement. 



When at Mr. W. W. Farnsworth's, a year ago (who grows 

 berries largely, at Waterville, Ohio, for the Toledo market), I 

 found that he was trying all the new and high-priced varieties 

 of strawberries, having an acre- and a half set out with them. 

 I was quite surprised to find that, for his field culture, Mr. F. 

 had only Crescent and Sucker State berries, four rows of the 

 former and then one of the latter, and so on through the field. 

 Tae rows of Sucker States were, of course, set out to fertilize 

 the Crescents, which have an imperfect blossom. I said to Mr. 

 Farnsworth : ' ' Would not some of these newer varieties, such 

 as the Jessie, do better? " 



He answered : " Possibly there may be some kind among 

 the many new ones that will prove to be better than the old 

 ones ; I hope so." 



Determined to get at the whole truth, I then asked him 

 how that acre and a half of new, choice (so-called) varieties 

 would yield, compared with his Crescents. His answer quite 



