280 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



berry for field culture. These plants were sold at higli prices, 

 and those who purchased most freely were the victims of the 

 greatest swindle. 



My advice is to test the new varieties on a small scale, show- 

 ing them no more favors than they would be likely to receive in 

 ordinary field culture. As I proposed at the commencement to 

 give my experience, I will here say that the Wilson's Albany 

 is the kind I use and the variety with which I have had the 

 best success. It is a hardy plant, a great bearer ; and although 

 the berry is deficient in flavor, it is firm in texture, and reaches 

 a distant market in good order, and is the strawberry for the 

 million. 



This I call the real Wilson's. There is a spurious plant which 

 was used in Bristol County, prior to 1865, which passed for the 

 Wilson's Albany Seedling. Although the fruit was very nearly 

 the same, it differed from the genuine in many important par- 

 ticulars. It had a profusion of blossoms, many of which were 

 imperfect. Its fruit-stalks were small, and so short that the 

 fruit literally lay on the ground, and its bearing season was 

 brought to a premature close by the drying up of both fruit 

 and foliage. In the genuine the blossoms are nearly all perfect, 

 the leaf is larger, the fruit-stalks strong, growing from four to 

 ten inches in height, and continues in bearing three or four 

 days longer than the spurious. Cutter's Seedling is a variety 

 tolerably well adapted for field culture. It is a good bearer, 

 has a better flavor than the Wilson's, and may take its place 

 only where the market is near, as it does not carry well. 

 Towards the close of the season, when the weather is hot, it 

 becomes almost too soft to handle. 



In growing strawberries, we should aim to get one good crop, 

 and then plough under the vines ; for, in point of economy, the 

 setting of a new piece is found to be less expensive than the 

 carrying over an old one. Where the object is to get only one 

 crop, I do not deem it essential that particular attention should 

 be given to the mixing of sexual varieties for fertilizing pur- 

 poses. But where pistillate plants are set, and it is intended to 

 keep them in bearing several years, I would recommend setting 

 every tenth row with some staminate variety. 



Avery P. Slade. 



