ABC OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 55 



finest-flavored ones ; still another, which is a little behind in 

 these respects, may yield tremendously ; then another may be 

 just perfect, only the fruit-stems are too short or too weak, let- 

 ting the berries lie on the ground and making them hard to 

 pick, or perhaps it is liable to rust, and so it goes. Take it all 

 in all, the perfect strawberry is easiest found on paper yet ; but, 

 do not let me discourage you from looking for it, and trying 

 the most promising new varieties in a small way. 



A friend who wanted to set out half an acre of strawber- 

 ries wrote me to know what varieties he had better get. He 

 wanted to grow what they could use at home, and then sell the 

 rest in town, close by. He wrote that he wanted early and me- 

 dium and late varieties, so as to prolong the season. This re- 

 minds me of a remark of Mr. Crawford when I was getting the 

 plants of him to set out our first bed, some three years ago. I 

 wanted early and medium and late berries also. Mr. Crawford 

 did not seem to think that an important point for me ; but in 

 my simplicity I did. So I questioned him to know whether 

 there wasn't considerable difference in the time of ripening of 



