Varieties, their Character and Adaptation to Soils. 99 



As we go north, the difficulties of choice are not so great. Coolness 

 and moisture agree with the strawberry plant. There the question of 

 hardiness is to be first considered. In regions, however, where the snow 

 falls early and covers the ground all winter, the strawberry is not so 

 exposed as with us, for our gardens are often bare in zero weather. Usu- 

 ally, it is not the temperature of the air that injures a dormant strawberry 

 plant, but alternations of freezing and thawing. The deep and unmelting 

 snows often enable the horticulturist to raise successfully in Canada tender 

 fruits that would "winter-kill" much farther south. If abundant protec- 

 tion is therefore provided, either by nature or by art, the people of the 

 North can take their choice from among the best. In the high latitudes, 

 early kinds will be in request, since the season of growth is brief. The 

 best early berries are Duchess, Bidwell, Pioneer, Early Hudson, Black 

 Defiance, Duncan, Durand's Beauty, and, earliest of all, Crystal City. 

 The last-named ripened first on my place in the summer of 1879, and 

 although the fruit is of medium size, and rather soft, I fear, the plant is 

 so vigorous and easily grown that I think it is worth general trial North 

 and South. I am informed that it promises to take the lead in Missouri. 



MARKET STRAWBERRIES. 



Thus far I have named those kinds whose fine flavor and beauty entitle 

 them to a place in the home garden. But with a large class, market 

 qualities are more worthy of consideration ; and this phase of the question 

 introduces us to some exceedingly popular varieties not yet mentioned. 

 The four great requirements of a market strawberry are productiveness, 

 size, a good, bright color, and that it may endure long carriage and 

 rough handling firmness. Because of the indifference of the consumer, 

 as explained in an earlier chapter, that which should be the chief consid- 

 eration flavor is scarcely taken into account. In the present unen- 

 lightened condition of the public, one of the oldest strawberries on the 

 list Wilson's Seedling is more largely planted than all other kinds 

 together. It is so enormously productive, it succeeds so well throughout 

 the entire country, and is such an early berry, that, with the addition of 

 its fine carrying qualities, it promises to be the great market berry for 

 the next generation also. But this variety is not at all adapted to thin, 

 poor land, and is very impatient of drought. In such conditions, the 

 berries dwindle rapidly in size, and even dry up on the vines. Where 

 abundant fertility and moisture can be maintained, the yield of a eld of 



