THE STRAWBERRY. 



rriHE production of this delicious fruit has of late assumed such propor- 

 _i- tions and the enquiries as to its cultivation are so numerous that, in 

 response to the frequent requests for information, it has been considered 

 advisable to collect all important facts from various authorities and publish 

 them in belletin form. 



It is needless here to enter into the merits of the strawberry. It is 

 considered the most wholesome of all fruits, being very easy of digestion and 

 never growing acid by fermentation as most other fruits do. Downing says: 

 " The oft-quoted instance of the great Linnaeus curing himself of gout by 

 partaking freely of strawberries a proof of its great wholesorneness is a 

 letter of credit which this tempting fruit has long enjoyed, for the consola- 

 tion of those who are looking for a bitter concealed under every sweet." It 

 is not, however, on account so much of its qualities for home use as its value 

 from a commercial standpoint, that the following pages are offered to the 

 public of British Columbia. It is now an ascertained fact that the finest 

 quality of strawberries can be and are grown in various parts of the Province. 

 The markets of the North-West Territories, Manitoba and the northern 

 mines afford such great opportunities for their profitable production that the 

 advice given by the Honourable E. Hofer, in a paper read before the State 

 Horticultural Society of Oregon, is well worth consideration. He says : 

 "There is no trouble to grow large strawberries. The difficulty is rather to 

 get varieties that are not too large berries of medium size that average well, 

 are of regular shape, either round or conical pointed fruit that looks well in 

 the box ready for the retailer. Avoid growing large misshapen fruit. It is 

 important to grow a variety that does not run out small after the first pick- 

 ing. For the home market grow a showy berry above medium size; but for 

 shipment an entirely different proposition is involved. A berry may be a 

 perfect success for the home market and endure hauling several miles and be 

 entirely unfit for the express car or refrigerator for long distance shipment. 

 A shipping berry should be solid, have a good skin and fine texture, be of 

 medium size, of roundish pointed shape, and ripen several days after picking." 

 Clarke's seedling, as grown at Hood River, Oregon, under irrigation and a 

 crisp mountain atmosphere, has the ideal shipping qualities, but experience 

 has proved that in this Province it is not a good producer. This fact goes 

 to show that, just like any other fruit apples, pears, peaches, plums, etc. 

 it is not every variety which has been proved successful elsewhere that 

 should necessarily be a profitable one in all parts of the Province. Bearing 

 this in mind further on, I have given the answers of some of the successful 

 provincial growers as to that and other points. The aspiring grower, if he 

 would be successful, must bear in mind that, like growing apples and other 

 fruit, he can only become so by patient concentration upon the fundamental 



