228 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



NOTES ON STRAWBERRIES. 



The strawberry crop has this year 

 been the largest ever gathered in Can- 

 ada. Prices wei-e low, but those who 

 srrew good fruit and sent it to market 

 in nice clean packages in good condition, 

 had no difficulty in disposing of their 

 crop at paying prices. 



They were very late : I made my 

 first shipment, June 25th ; and last 

 shipment, July 24th. 



First to I'ipen were Early Canada 

 and Old Iron-clad, both of which are 

 quite promising where locality suits 

 them. They bloom very early, hence, 

 are often injured by late spring frosts. 

 Old Iron-dad is the best very early 

 berry I have seen ; fruit bright scarlet, 

 of good quality, about the size of Wil- 

 son, and about four days earlier than 

 Crescent. 



Crescent Seedling is much the best 

 and most profitable market berry I can 

 find, fruit of better color than Wilson, 

 ripens several days earlier, and much 

 moi-e productive. Although not quite 

 so firm, it will stand shii)ping very 

 well, will average perhaps a little larger 

 than Wilson on my soil, (clay loam) 

 grown by the matted row system. 



Wilson still holds a place in every 

 well selected list of strawberries for 

 market. 



Capt. Jack is a splendid variety on 

 clay loam, it is quite late, will average 

 larger than Wilson ; bright color, of 

 good form, very hardy and productive ; 

 as firm as Crescent, does not do so well 

 on sandy soil. 



Among those of more recent intro- 

 duction Manchester is perhaps the most 

 promising. It is quite late, fruit large, 

 light scarlet, of good quality ; very 

 productive, holds out well to the end 

 of the season. Not firm enough to 

 carry to a distant market, but for near 

 market (say fifty miles) it is one of the 

 best to plant in every plantation. 



Daniel Boone ripens about midsum- 

 mer. Fruit will aveiage large and very 

 even in size, fine bright scarlet, about 

 as firm as Manchester ; one that you 

 need not be afraid to plant on either 

 sand or clay loam, for either home use 

 or market. I had it in full fruiting 

 two seasons, this year I had over one- 

 half an acre, and shipped them as far 

 as Detroit (ninety miles) in perfect 

 condition. No sort in my collection 

 looked so well in the crate as Daniel 

 Eoone. 



James Vick must be grown either 

 in hills or very narrow matted rows to 

 make them profitable : they set more 

 fruit than any variety can bring to 

 perfection when grown in the ordinaiy 

 matted i-ow. I had about three-fourths 

 of an acre this season, but allowed 

 most of the rows to get too wide, 

 hence the fruit was too small ; but 

 where grown in hills or very narrow 

 matted rows, it produces a great crop 

 of vei'y Vjiight scarlet fruit, about as 

 firm and large as Wilson. Begins to 

 ripen quite late, and holds out as late 

 as any. 



The plant is one of the most vigorous 

 and hardy of any sort grown. 



Arnold's Haggle has, perhaps, given 

 us the largest quantity of fruit to a 

 given space, of any in the collection. 

 It begins to ripen with Crescent, and 

 continues quite late. Fruit lai'ge, first 

 picking nearly as large as Sharpless ; 

 not firm enough for a market berry, 

 and not of best quality. Arnold's 

 Pride gives some very large fruit. 7iot 

 of good color or quality ; it will not 

 pay to grow it. Bright Ida not as 

 good as Maggie, later, and not quite as 

 productive. 



Sharplees ; largest of any, and quite 

 productive some seasons. It will not 

 pay to grow for market when we have 

 so many varieties that are more reli- 

 able. 



