THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



201 



Crimson Beauty. — A fence-corner 

 variety sure enough ; and I can find 

 many wild plants in pasture fields 

 around that are far better, if its beha- 

 viour with me is a fair sample of its 

 capacity. The plant is very vigorous 

 indeed, sprouting from the root ex- 

 tremities at a tremendous rate ; but it 

 shows that profuseness of small spines 

 to the very extremity of the new-grow- 

 ing cane, which is not found in Han- 

 sell, Cuthbert, or any other cultivated 

 variety that I know. It appears quite 

 hardy, but the berries are soft, crumbly, 

 and very small, while they do not seem 

 very early. Perhaps this is enough to 

 say with only one season's test of full- 

 grown 2:)lants ; but it is hard to keep 

 down the disgust with which one views 

 the performance of this praise-bespat- 

 tered brier ! 



ISuferh. — A good, vigorous grower — 

 eai-ly, large to very large ; but the 

 color is rather too dark, the berries in- 

 clined to crumble, and the quality de- 

 cidedly inlerior. Where people are 

 fond of the old Philadelphia this sort 

 may find friends ; but, in spite of its 

 larger size, I do not think it will prove 

 as profitable as the earlier, brighter, 

 sweeter and better-ship})ing 

 Very hardy. 



Of the older varieties, the 



Cuthbert is just beginning 

 as Hansell is almost done, 

 combined good qualities — size, firm- 

 ness, quality and productiveness — I 

 still regard the Cuthbert as the best of 

 its season. If the Marlboro' with its 

 earlinfss will, according to rumour, 

 stretch over the whole season with its 

 larger and brighter-coloured berries, 

 then the Cuthbert must rank further 

 back ; but until I fruit the new comer, 

 my loudest hurrah must be for the 

 royal Cuthbert. Last winter was hard 

 on it here : one plantation, one year 

 old, wintei-killed to the very ground ; 

 anoth r plantation of same age got oft 



Hansell. 



to ripen 

 For its 



with slight injury; while my old 

 plants five feet high were partially in- 

 jured, but ai-e now fruiting freely. "NVe 

 never had such a winter before, and 

 Cuthbert may never thus suffoi- again ; 

 but I do not think this variety can be 

 depended upon where the thermometer 

 touches thirty degi'ees below zero. 



Txirner. — This " stand-by " is work- 

 ing away in its usual laudable fashion ; 

 berries of good size, fine colour, very 

 sweet, and lots of them. The plant is 

 an admirable grower, and the large, 

 tliornless canes stand smilingly erect 

 through the woi'st winter we can bring 

 on. Where only one variety can be 

 grown for family use, and not much 

 care given, by all* means let Turner be 

 the one ; but we want something firmer 

 and larger in its season for market. 



Highland Hardy. — Nearly as large 

 in berry as Turner, and quite early, 

 coming close after Hansell. The berry 

 seems nearly as large and nearly as 

 firm as Hansell, and the taste more 

 nearly conforms to the standard of 

 those persons who are accustomed to 

 the foreign varieties. But the Cana- 

 dian public will prefer the handsomer 

 Hansell. The Highland Hardy is also 

 distinctively a market variety, and 

 during the last few seasons has here 

 won increasing regard for this purpose. 

 For home use, as already indicated, I 

 pi'efer the sweeter, larger, hardier and 

 more vigorous Turner, which is only a 

 few days later ; but for market tise I 

 consider the firmer and earlier High- 

 land Hardy more profitable. Its crop 

 ripens np in shorter time, and hence is 

 more satisfactory to the pickers, be- 

 sides getting well out of the way before 

 Cuthbert and other late ones come in. 

 I would plant it freely for market if I 

 could not get Hansell. It seems hardy 

 enough. 



Of " Black Caps " the first to ripen 

 of course is 



Tyler or Souhegan. — If there is any 



