104 Teuck Geowing in the South. 



to rust — this disease causing the later shipments to be 

 small and insipid. Eed Bird is another berry which is 

 about as early as Excelsior but is not self-pollinating. It 

 is necessary to plant every third row in some pollinating 

 variety, the Excelsior being the variety usually used for 

 pollinating, as it is necessary to have two varieties bloom 

 at the same time. Red Bird is a conical shaped berry 

 and is large, early and handsome and a hardier berry than 

 Excelsior, but the general complaint comes from all quar- 

 ters that it does not fruit well in cold weather and for this 

 reason alone nine-tenths of the growers are abandoning it. 

 I would suggest however that such an early an-d valuable 

 variety should not be given up without testing it further. 

 It strikes me that the reason of its unfruitfulness during 

 cold weather lies in the fact that the berries being cov- 

 ered with straw prevents fructification. This difficulty 

 might be avoided by covering with cloth, placing a polli- 

 nating variety in each third or fourth hill, all in the same 

 row. The covering will be referred to later. The throe 

 varieties referred to are practically the only ones grown 

 in Elorida, many others having been tried but found want- 



SoiL. 



Strawberries must have a congenial soil to which they 

 are adapted. They require a dark, damp soil, with a mod- 

 erate supply of vegetable matter, but not too much. Low 

 hammocks after having been cultivated for two' years are 

 the best for berries. ISTew lands will not do as the bervy 

 plants run too much to vine. Dark pine lands with plenty 

 of moisture also do well, but are not so good as the ham- 



