Ideal and Market Strawberries. 45 



following editorial in the Evening Post, the I2th June, 1876, from the pen 

 of the late William Cullen Bryant: 



STRAWBERRIES. 



" In general, an improvement has been observed of late in the quality of fruit. 

 We have more and finer varieties of the apple ; the pear is much better in general 

 than it was ten years since; of the grape there are many new and excellent 

 varieties which the market knew nothing of a few years ago, and there are some 

 excellent varieties of the raspberry lately introduced. But the strawberry has 

 decidedly deteriorated, and the result is owing to the general culture of Wilson's 

 Albany for the market. Wilson's Albany is a sour, crude berry, which is not fully 

 ripe when it is perfectly red, and even when perfectly ripe is still too acid. t When 

 it first makes its appearance in the market, it has an exceedingly harsh flavor and 

 very little of the agreeable aroma which distinguishes the finer kinds of the berry. 

 If not eaten very sparingly, it disagrees with the stomach, and you wake with a 

 colic the next morning. Before Wilson's strawberry came into vogue, there were 

 many other kinds which were sweeter and of a more agreeable flavor. But the 

 Wilson is a hard berry, which bears transportation well; it is exceedingly prolific 

 and altogether hardy qualities which give it great favor with the cultivator, but 

 for which the consumer suffers. The proper way of dealing in strawberries is to 

 fix the prices according to the quality of the sort. This is the way they do in the 

 markets of Paris. A poor sort, although the berry may be large, is sold cheap ; 

 the more delicate kinds the sweet, juicy and high-flavored are disposed of at 

 a higher price. Here the Wilson should be sold the cheapest of all, while such 

 as the Jucunda and the President Wilder should bear a price corresponding to 

 their excellence. We hope, for our part, that the Wilsons will, as soon as their 

 place can be supplied by a better berry, be banished from the market. It can 

 surely be no difficult thing to obtain a sort by crossing, which shall bear transpor- 

 tation equally well, and shall not deceive the purchaser with the appearance of 

 ripeness." 



The reader will perceive that Mr. Bryant has portrayed both the evil 

 and the remedy. The public justly complains of the strawberry of 

 commerce, but it has not followed the suggestion in the editorial and 

 demanded a better article, even though it must be furnished at a higher 

 price. 



In spite, however, of all that is said and written annually against the 

 Wilson, it still maintains its supremacy as the market berry. Those who 

 reside near the city and can make, to some extent, special arrangements 

 with enlightened customers, find other varieties more profitable, even 

 though the yield from them is less, and some are lost from lack of 

 keeping qualities. But those who send from a considerable distance, and 

 must take their chances in the general market, persist in raising the 

 " sour, crude berry," which is red before it is ripe, and hard enough to 



