252 Strawberry-Growing 



Commercial value. 



The everbearing varieties have not yet passed the 

 stage of exploitation. Ultra-optimistic trade catalogues 

 and journals still describe them in superlatives. Prom 

 some accounts, one would infer that the ordinary single- 

 bearing sorts soon will be obsolete. It may be granted, 

 without debate, that the everbearers are a distinct addi- 

 tion to the home garden ; but whether they will be profit- 

 able commercially is another question. W. B. Kille, of 

 New Jersey, speaks appreciatively of their value for 

 conunercial culture:^ "The yield of Superb, grown in 

 matted rows from the spring crop, was at the rate of 

 11,500 quarts per acre, while Gandy and Chesapeake 

 beside them made less than 6000 quarts per acre. All 

 three had the same treatment. The Superb can be 

 handled by two classes of growers. First, by the special- 

 ist who will devote all his energy to the production of 

 fall berries exclusively. This can best be done by plant- 

 ing on the hill system and removing all blossoms until 

 July 10th or 15th. Second, by the commercial grower 

 who will train them in matted rows or restricted matted 

 rows and who will get enough berries in the fall of the 

 first season to pay for establishing the bed, and then 

 rely upon the spring crop for his greatest returns. If 

 grown in matted rows, it will produce a small crop in 

 the fall, which will sell at about three times what the 

 spring crop brings, and also a very large spring crop." 



It is difficult to forecast the future of the everbearers 

 at this time. We are only at the beginning of their 

 improvement by breeding. The Pan-American was 

 introduced only fourteen years ago, yet even during 

 this short period breeders have produced varieties that 



1 Rept. N. J. Hort. Soc, 1913, p. 140. 



