()68 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 1.1. 



THE STERLING .STKAWBERRY, ETC. 



Mr. Root: — I do not know what to think of 

 you, aftiT the praise you bestowed on the Ster- 

 ling strawberry, in former issues, espcL-ially 

 those very delicious ones you have so much en- 

 joyed at friend Terry's, and then have you in 

 your July 1st issue announce that you had con- 

 cluded to drop it from your list, and would re- 

 instate a former <Uscardcd variety which had 

 about ail the ^ood points of the Sterling. It 

 would look as though the Sterling wasn't much 

 of a berry after all, even though you had so 

 praised Mrs. Terry's canned ones. Perhaps 

 others, like myself, have been influenced by 

 the praise you iformerly bestowed on Mrs. Ter- 

 ry's canned Sterlings, and concluded that it was 

 the berry for them to plant. How is it, friend 

 Root — were you deceived, or were you almost 

 too lavish of your praise? A. D. P. Young. 



Ashtabula, O., July 16. 



I hardly feel like pleading guilty to either 

 charge, friend Y. The Sterling is an excellent 

 berry, and it seems like parting with one of 

 ray children, almost, to give it up: but there 

 are altogether too many strawberries recom- 

 mended. I saw a ciitaloff recently where one 

 man ofTered sometliing like loO different varie- 

 ties. It is trespassing on good nature and on a 

 suflfering public to inflict so many on them, 

 even if all are good. IMattlunv Crawford origi- 

 nated the Sterling a good many years ago. It 

 gave considerable promise, and he sold it for 

 quite a little sum of money. Either it did not 

 seem to please generally, or else the new owner 

 did not push it ; because, for some reason or 

 other, it fell back out of sight. But Terry got 

 hold of it; and as it suited him exactly for a 

 berry to can. he gave it prominence. After our 

 strawberry book was out I discovered that this 

 berry was very little known ; and I also found 

 that it was in many respects much like the 

 Warfield. The latter is generally known and 

 widely disseminated ; and after I had dropped 

 it I discovered that it seemed to be a general fa- 

 vorite all over the land, although, as E. C. 

 Green told me to-day (we were out on a wheel- 

 ride together, looking at the nice gardens and 

 farms of Medina County), the Warlii»ld does not 

 seem to do its best every year. Now, the point 

 is this: The Warfield is already well known, 

 and is in the hands of most of the strawberry- 

 growers. This is true to such an extent that 

 the Ohio Experiment Station, in a recent bulle- 

 tin where they gave a list of old '^ort« to be rec- 

 ommended, mentioned the Warfield first of all! 

 In view of this. I think itwa« unwise to drop it. 

 Now. as the Sterling has hardly been- intro- 

 duced, and is very little known, was it not wise 

 on my part to make the exchange I did? By 

 the way, I should be very glad indeed to get a 

 report from those who have purchased Ster- 

 lings. It is too sour a berry for most people, 

 unless they want one specially for canning; 

 and it is not nearly as productive, if I am cor- 

 rect, as the Warfield. I may add this much in 

 its favor: While visiting at Mr. L. B. Pierce's I 

 asked him what he thought of the Sterling; 

 and. if I remember correctly, he said it was one 

 of the best berries in the world: and then he 

 showed me a row of them, larger and finer than 

 any I have ever grown on my own ground, up 

 at one side of that strawhfM-rv- patch, on the 

 edge of the woods. We tiinxt sift our great 

 number of varieties, and choose a few of the 



best. Of course, anybody who has a special 

 fancy for it can hold on to it as long as he 

 chooses. Let me quote what the Ohio Experi- 

 ment Station says in regard to old varieties: 



'■ The best of the old varieties are W^arfiekl, 

 Bubach. Crescent, and Haverland; and no va- 

 riety seems to have been found that is likely to 

 supersede them." 



THE TIMBKEI.L STRAAVBERRY. 



In my recent review of strawberries, after it 

 was in "print I feared I had been a little too se- 

 vere on the Timbrell. A report from our good 

 friend Crawford, of Cuyahoga Falls, gives an 

 explanation to the white tip during this pres- 

 ent season; and as there are several other val- 

 uable points, we give the report below: 



It has fruited here twice, and I am glad to re- 

 port that the plant is all that can be desired for 

 health, vigor, and productiveness; and it is cer- 

 tainly the latest of all so far. The fruit is very 

 large, usually of good shape, and of excellent fla- 

 vor. This season it failed to ripen uniformly witli 

 me, remaining white on the under side when red 

 above. I think this was owing mainly to the ex- 

 treme heat, and perhaps In some measure to the 

 fact that tlie soil was sandy, and no mulch was ap- 

 plied. A grower a few miles from here says that 

 his colored up all rlgiit. In this connection It is 

 but fair to say that the fruit Is of fine quality be- 

 fore it colors all over. 



I have received reports from various quarters, ex- 

 tending over a wide area, and some of tliem place 

 It at the head of the list. A correspondent in Colo- 

 rado tells of ten berries that made a heaping quart, 

 and weighed 21 ounces. Anotlier in New Jersey, 

 who has had it several years, considers It the most 

 valuable variety ever iniroduced. 



We also extract from friend Crawford's July 

 report the following excellent suggestions in 

 regard to planting strawbejTies generally, in 

 the fall: 



FALL PLANTING. 



The soil for strawberries should always be rich, 

 and this is especially necessary for fall-set plants, 

 as they can not send their roots to a great distance 

 In search of food In the short time in which they 

 have to grow. Old, well decomposed stable manure 

 Is excellent, and plenty of it should be used. It Is 

 well to apply it after the land is plowed, and then 

 harrow it until the horses have stepped on every 

 square toot. If the bed be small, the manure can 

 be worked in with the hoe. The soil should be 

 made firm before the plants are set. This will help 

 keep them from being thrown out by the frost. If 

 one is planting a large patch, which is seldom done 

 In the fall, it Is well to roll the soil. This not only 

 makes the bed firm and smooth, but also enables 

 one to see just where the surface Is, and to set tlie 

 plants at the proper depth. In planting a small 

 bed, my plan Is, to stretch the line where the row Is 

 to be, and spat it down with the back of a spade. 

 This gives a smooHi surface, with the Impression of 

 the line for a guide. If the soil be dry. I cover the 

 surface around the plants with a mulch of some 

 kind, and give one thorough watering. An excel- 

 lent plan Is to cut some grass when It s short and 

 green, and scatter it all over the plants. This gives 

 them sliade just when they need It; and as the 

 grass drlts up they become strong enough to do 

 without shade. 



AN ONION ITEM FOR MR. ROOT. 



My potato onions, which were badlv frozen 

 at Easter, made a very good crop. and. besides. 

 made an efTort upward as well; to wit. four or 

 five of the sets sent up stalks, •^ach bearing 

 about five little onions. Though I have grown 

 the potato onions a good many years, this is 

 the first instance of that kind that has occurred, 

 or that I know of. In each case it was one of a 

 bunch of sets, and not a large onion, that did 

 this. The«e little top onions were not ripe 

 when I had to take up the onions; but I ara 

 sorry that I did not try to ripen them and see 

 what th(>y would produce, as T may never have 

 another chance. M.S. Percivai.. 



Rugby. Tenn. 



