114 THE CANAWAN HORTICTJL'njKIST. 



SIIAKPLESS. 



Much has heen said about tliis berry, and its ])raises liave been 

 sounded forth far and near. It was raised hy J. K. Sharpless, of 

 Catawissa, Penn., in 1872. The i)hiiit is vigorous, and the leaves are 

 large, and seem to be able to endure tlie heat well. The fruit is large, 

 often very large, and showy, irregular in form, of a bright scarlet color; 

 flesh tolerably firm, flavor good, and the time of ripening somewliat 

 after the bulk of the Wilson has been gathered. It is impossible to 

 speak posititively of its productiveness, but it seems to yield best when 

 grown in hills or very narrow rovv's. In a matted bed the yield is not 

 large. The size, color, and time of ripening of this berry are strong 

 points in its favor as a market fruit, and in a discriminating market, 

 where large size and showy appearance will command increased price, 

 it gives great promise of being a profitable berry^ 



EARLY CANADA. 



The credit of originating and disseminating this strawberry is due 

 to one of the members of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario, 

 A. M. Smith, formerly of Drummondville, now of St. Catharines. The 

 writer fii*st saw it in his plantation at Drummondville in the summer ' 

 of 1878, at a time when the bulk of the crop had been harvested, but 

 enough of the fruit remained to enable one to judge of its quality and 

 prominent features. The plant is hardy and healthy, much like the 

 Wilson in appearance and habit of growth, and apparently equal to it 

 in productiveness. The fruit in size, color, firmness of flesh, and form 

 seems to be the counterpart of the Wilson. The flavor is also much 

 like tliat of the Wilson, though not quite as acid. Its time of ripening 

 is about a week earlier than that of the Wilson, growing side by side 

 and of the same age. This variety has not yet been widely dissemi- 

 nated nor extensively planted, but we hear of a person near Jordan 

 Station who planted an acre of it in the spring of 1880, and this year 

 gathered four thousand five hundred quarts of berries from it, which 

 sold at very satisfactory prices. 



The profitable marketing of strawberries is a problem into which 

 many 1^^ elements of calculation necessarily enter. The character of the 

 market where the bulk of the crop is to be sold is an important 

 element. Can purchasers.be found who are willing to pay a good 

 price for extra fine fruit when the market is full of that of a medium 



