E. W. TOWNSEND, Strawberry Specialist 



are going to place your order with a plant grower for your stock of plants with which you 

 expect to grow a crop from which to support your family or probably pay off that mortgage, 

 buy your plants from a nursery that uses plant selection for its foundation. We come to the 

 third: 



PROPER POLLENIZATION 



We have learned through close and careful attention that in our former methods in pollen- 

 izing imperfect varieties with perfect varieties, that we were not at all times correct. The 

 old method was to set out four to eight rows of the imperfect variety, then one of the same 

 season of a perfect sort. We have found that this method fails in many cases and in almost 

 nine out of ten. 



THE PROPER WAY TO POLLENIZE (OR FERTILIZE) 



Where a main portion of the field is to De of an imperiect variety, set as follows: Begin 

 with a row of some perfect variety witn season a itw aays earner tnan the imperfect variety, 

 tnen set three or not over lour rows of your imperfect variety; toliow with a row of some per- 

 fect variety that ripens a weeK later tnan tne imperiect variety, ana follow this style until 

 the field is planted. The idea is tnis: xne first pertect variety is to be sure to catch the nrst 

 blooms from the imperfect variety, and tne later periect variety to be sure to catch all the 

 later blooms. Secure perfect varieties tnat are rien with ponen, as many so-called perfect 

 sorts are not sufficient in pollen to fertilize, tne imperiect bioom prooabiy has sufficient ponen 

 for its own use ana no more and many times we nave round that when some periect sorts were 

 planted near a perfect variety rich in pollen they were greatly Denefited. 1 mention a few oia 

 stanaard varieties for the readers benefit. Tne G-andy is one that is deficient in pollen; tne 

 Klondvke another, and many more 1 could mention. 



I have tried to make this part of my book as plain to you as possible, and I trust that I 

 have not failed. Believe me, I had much rather have you take up the 20th Century method of 

 growing strawberries than to receive any money that you couia send me for an order of 

 plants. It is the better fruit that the great cities are calling for and more of it. The supply 

 of good fruit is always short. It is the common trash that goes a-begging. It costs no 

 more to grow an acre of good berries than an acre of common; the only saving is in the picking 

 and hauling as I have said before, and that saving goes in the wrong pocket. It is not the 

 number of acres you set, but the number of quarts you get. 



Never set more acres than you can properly cultivate. 



Many a poor fellow has tried to get rich in one season and set ten acres when he could 

 only properly cultivate two. His profit would have been far greater if he had only set out 

 the two. A few acres of properly selected plants well arranged for and well cared for will 

 show better returns than any other crop of fruit ever grown. 



It is the right start that brings the results every time. I am proud of the fact that I 

 have already helped hundreds of berry growers in almost every state to start right; they 

 are finding strawberry growing more profitable than any other occupation. Their many letters, of 

 which I print only a small part, are very encouraging to me, and make me strive each year to try 

 to produce the best it is possible to produce for them. 



The demand for my plants has grown year by year by leaps and bounds from every corner and 

 it is almost impossible for me to supply the demand, and my small annual catalog is about all the 

 advertising I do. Very little advertising is done by me through the farm papers. I leave it to my 

 Customers to do my advertising. I have found to my entire satisfaction that their advertising pays 

 well. 



THE DAWN IS BREAKING 



I believe that the dawn is breaking on the 20th Century ideas. I believe that the calls for 

 cheap plants, cheap seeds, cheap trees, cheap stock, will be less and less every year. I be- 

 lieve that there is to be a great awakening along these lines in the very near future. I 

 have noticed for the past few years that in sections of the country where it was almost 

 impossible to sell good plants at their worth, that they are now calling for the best that 

 can be grown and insist in getting only the best, no matter what the cost. Of course, there 

 are a great many sections that this awakening spirit has not reached, but they are sure to 

 follow. The cheap, shoddy nursery stock that once was in demand will be no longer 

 sought for even at the very lowest price. In my mail this morning was a price list from a 

 concern quoting me peach trees, in lots of ten, at two cents each; apple trees at three cents 

 each. I have prices from a reliable nursery company, near my home. Their prices are 

 twenty-five cents per peach tree and thirty-five to forty-five cents per apple tree. The latter firm 

 has a reputation at stake. Their stock is the best that it is possible to grow. I shall place my 

 order with the latter firm. I have faith in their stock. I am willing to give them a profit and 

 try to encourage them to keep up the great work they have begun. 



Don't plant heavy of varieties until they have been tested in your immediate locality. 

 The list of varieties is now entirely too long. It is my intention each season to discard as 

 many of the less desirable varieties as possible and thus keep the list as short as possible. This, 

 of course, is a very slow process, as there are many new varieties coming to the front 

 each season that must be given space, and these almost offset the reductions made in the old 

 varieties discarded. 



It is true that there are being some great improvements made in the way of new intro- 

 ductions, especially the new race of berries (ever-bearing varieties). They are really the 

 20th Century wonder, and one can hardly believe, after growing and fruiting them and see- 

 ing them with their own eyes, that they really are a possibility. The fellow that eats the 

 fruit is amazed, and the fellow that grows the fruit is amazed most. There are three or 

 four wonderful introductions on this line, and they should be grown by every lover of straw- 

 berries that has a rod of ground, or a few feet of space in a back yard. 



HELP YOU TO SELECT THE PROFITABLE VARIETIES 



Hundreds of my customers leave the selection of the varieties to me. This work is all 

 done by me personally. And I am proud to say that I seldom fail to give entire satisfaction 

 when an order is sent to me with these instructions. When sending your order for me to 

 use my' best judgment just mention what season you wish varieties to ripen in, how many 

 of each season, whether for home use, local market or for distant shipment. I guarantee to 

 please you. 



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