TOWNSEN.D'S -20th CENTURY “CATALOG. N cpa 
Uncle Sam (Per). This variety was sent 
me from St. Louis, Mo., spring of 1907, in 
competition for a prize for the best dozen 
plants of an extra early variety. 
say that it easily won the prize, both in 
foliage and fruit. It is by far the strong- 
est plant grower of all the extra early 
varieties. Plants strong and stalky, dark 
and healthy appearance.. Free from rust. 
Fruit extra large and holds the size well 
until the last pickings. As firm as one 
could wish for any distance shipments. 
Color very dark red when fully ripe; ripens 
red all over, no green tips, and the dark 
color extends clear to the center. Fruit 
is quite acid until very ripe, but the fla- 
vor is considered grand and one of its 
strongest points. Is productive enough to 
grow 10,000 quarts to the acre under 
proper cultivation. The Uncle Sam fruited 
I will . 
them make their stay with the growers 
very short, in fact, ninety per cent are 
discarded after the first trial. It has 
been the policy of the writer for many 
years to test almost every new variety 
that comes under his notice. Thus it 
can be readily seen that I have seen the 
going of many new varieties, and have 
had the pleasure also of being among the 
first to get all the good ones that have 
been introduced. The Missionary was 
picked up by me as a coume-by-chance va- 
riety. I fruited it two seasons in a small 
way. I soon found that it had unusually 
strong points for a commercial berry, be- 
ing exceedingly tirm and attractive. I 
shipped them to Boston and had them 
returned to me by express. I found they 
reached me in good, sound condition aft- 
seven days. I at once sent them to the 
PAS eH ne a RO p er | 
Brandywine, one-half natural size. 
a heavy crop the past ‘season, when the 
Excelsior, planted by its side, was an en- 
tire failure. Its heavy foliage is a great 
frost protector. After testing this va- 
riety with the Excelsior once, one would 
never think of planting the Excelsior 
again I have placed the price in reach 
of all this season and have a good supply 
of plants, as will be seen by cut. 
Excelsior (Per). One of the old-time bests. 
Needs no description. 
Lady Townsend (Per). Extra early. Good, 
free plant maker, fruit medum to large, 
quality fine. An excellent market va- 
riety and particularly fine for family use. 
Qaks Early (Per). <A free plant maker, does 
well on any soil. Fruit medium in Size, 
quality good. Is a great favorite in the 
South, and as far North as Delaware. One 
of the very best shippers. 
Climax (Per). For many years this has 
been a leader as an early variety in many 
of the largest kerry growing sections. 
Has a strong, clean plant, particularly 
hardy and a sure cropper. In fact, has 
a record of 20,000 quarts to the acre. 
Needs low, springy soil to do its best. It 
is a sure money maker every season. 
Does well in most sections. Fruit large, 
moderately firm, quality ordinary. 
(Townsend’s) Missionary (Per). (Early). A 
few words from the introducer of the 
Missionary strawberry. It is a known 
fact that there are more new varieties of 
strawberries introduced each year than 
ail other new fruits combined. Many of 
er being banged about by the express for 
state of Florida for trial, this being the 
spring of 1906. I did not send them there 
with any strong claims. I merely asked 
the growers to give them a trial and 
report results. Here are the results: In 
less than three years from the time the 
berry was introduced in the state of 
Florida the Polk county berry growers 
alone asked for three million plants. To- 
day it is the best known variety in every 
Southern state, has given entire satisfac- 
tion in every section of the Southern 
states, and indeed the writer has never 
heard a complaint from any section of the 
country. The large associations in the 
Southwest and the West are discarding 
the Klondyke for the Missionary. For 
the past four seasons I have never been 
able to supply the demand for the plants. 
And the growers have been equally unable 
to supply the demand for the fruit. It 
has the quality—that’s the point. You 
ask why it is called Townsend’s Mission- 
ary. I give you the reason. About 1910, 
all Florida growers wanted the Missionary 
plants (this being the first name). There 
were but few of them in the hands of the 
plant growers at that time. But as the 
demand was so great many of the so- 
called nurseries filled orders for Mission- 
ary with anything they had like straw- 
berry plants. The next season the grow- 
ers of Florida called for Townsend’s Mis- 
sionary, hence the name, Townsend, pre- 
ceding Missionary. Three-fourths of the 
plants shipped by me the past season were 
of the Missionary variety. ‘The season 
of 1913 has been one of the best for me 
to grow plants. I planted a large acre- 
age and will be able to furnish something 
like eight to ten million plants. 
