ABC OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 127 



tions. As my paper is getting long, I shall be obliged to pass 

 over this visit briefly. As an illustration of our talk I will 

 give the following : 



"Friend C., will you please show me the largest berry 

 known?" 



' ' With great pleasure, Mr. Root . But do you really think 

 you want to invest in the largest berry known ? " 



" Why, surely. If it is a good one, why should I not? " 



"Yes, it is a good one that is, fairly good. Come and 

 see." 



He parted the leaves, and there, to my great astonishment, 

 was an immense fruit that I should hardly have called a straw- 

 berry had it not been for the surroundings. Instead of being 

 like other strawberries, it was much the shape of a very badly 

 scalloped tomato ; and I declare, the berries were pretty close 

 in size to some tomatoes. I picked a great big one and took a 

 bite. The quality was very much like that of the Bubach ; but 

 there was not a single specimen that was not knotty and gnar- 

 ly, with protuberances growing out of one side or out of an- 

 other. At first I declared I would make a planting of it ; and 

 then it occurred to me that everybody would object, and pre- 

 fer something a little smaller, of good shape, and firm enough 

 to ship something like the Gandy for instance. If one want- 

 ed, however, a great lot of berries, and something that could 

 be picked very quickly, I rather think this would be the berry. 

 My companion told me that he had found ten of them that 

 would make a quart, and he thought it very likely that he could 

 do it then and there. As Its shape suggested tomatoes I asked : 



" Friend C., why is it not probable that some time we shall 

 have a single strawberry combining so many of the desirable 

 qualities of others that only one variety will be needed like 

 the tomato, for instance?" 



"I have thought of it a good deal, Bro Root ; and, by the 

 way, I am very much rejoiced to know that we have finally one 

 tomato summing up all the good qualities to such an extent that 



