226 [Assembly 



fully sustained the high character assigned to it. It was one of the 

 best he ever saw in flavor, and at the same time it bore well. 



Mr. Downing remarked that the committee felt justified in recom- 

 mending it, since it did not require near so long a time to test a 

 strawberry as a larger fruit. 



Col. Hodge said, that we ought to move with caution, for the 

 community had been more humbugged with regard to strawberries 

 than any other fruit He had seen this variety one season and favored 

 it, but he considered it entirely premature for this Congress to place 

 it on the list for general cultivation. 



Mr. Elliott said, that four years ago there was only one plant of 

 this variety in existence, and all that had been since obtained, made 

 but a very small quantity. They had been watched with great care, 

 with a view to dissemination, but sufficient opportunity had not been 

 had for testing the variety in a thorough manner. Mr. Walker said 

 that, according to his experience, a strawberry could be tested as 

 well in two years as a pear in five. 



Mr. HovEY moved to pass it by. Mr. Lines, of New Haven, 

 hoped it would not be passed by, since nobody said anything about it 

 but in its praise. If it had been tried and proved bad, that would be 

 another thing. Mr. Hovey rejoined that other things were important 

 as well as its flavor. This fruit had only been known in Boston for 

 one year, and he himself had procured a plant from Mr. Barry. 

 From that plant he got perhaps a dozen berries. What could be 

 judged of its bearing properties from that 1 He wanted to have its 

 qualities in this respect tested on a much larger scale. 



Mr. Barry agreed that it was important to know about its bearing 

 qualities when extensively cultivated. Mr. Warner's bed of Burr's 

 New Pine, in Rochester, was half as large as this room, (perhaps 

 1,200 square feet) and from it he had obtained immense quantities of 

 fruit. Mr. Hancock said that Mr. Burr had come out with five or 

 six varieties as being all of extraordinary excellence, but it seemed 

 that he had now come down to this one. For that very reason, he 

 (Mr. H.) should be shy of this ; and rumor said that it had not 

 proved good in Ohio, on further cultivation. Mr. McIntosh said 

 that Mr. Hancock must be mistaken, for Burr's Old Seedling and 

 Ohio Mammoth were among the best varieties they had in Ohio. Mr. 

 Hancock rejoined, that he had his information from Mr. Burr him- 



