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WHAT IS SAID OF THE VAN FLEET HYBRIDS BY THE NEW 

 JERSEY STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



[Extract from Report 1910, of Special Fruit and 

 Flower Committee. Mr. Elias S. Black, 

 Chairman.] 



'"I saw a lot of seedlings raised by Dr. Walter 

 Van Fleet, that have been purchased by Mr. John 

 T. Lovett, who has not offered any of them for 

 sale yet. Still they are worth noticing, as among 

 this lot of seedlings there was not a single one 

 that did not show a superior advantage over other 

 varieties fruiting beside them. Among them were 

 some that ripened with Michael's Early and yet 

 had berries as large as the William Belt and were 

 equally as productive as that standard variety. 

 I hope to see more of these seedlings another 

 year, and under different conditions on Mr. 

 Lovett's gTounds from what they were on Dr. 

 Van Fleet's grounds." 



[Extract from Report 1911, Special Fruit and 

 Flower Committee. Mr. Elias S. Black, 

 Chairman.] 



'"The Van Fleet Hybrid Strawberries are in- 

 deed remarkable. Of the thousands of these, pro- 

 duced by scientific hybridization of our best 

 American varieties (Fragaria Virginiana) with 

 the best of the European varieties (Fragaria 

 grandiflora), fifteen of the best were selected by 

 the Doctor, who, before going to California, 

 turned them over to Mr. J. T. Lovett, the 

 nurseryman at Little Silver. These I visited 

 at different times upon Mr. Lovett's grounds, dur- 

 ing fruit time and afterwards. They are still 

 mider numbers and to describe them fully would 

 take up too much of your time. I will, therefore, 

 merely state, in a general way, they are revela- 

 tions, both as regards size of plant and fruit, to 

 which should be added superlative quality. No. 

 4 resembles the old Jucunda somewhat in make- 



up, though the plants were growing admirably 

 upon light soil moderately fertilized, and gave 

 berries that in size almost equalled fair sized 

 apples. Xo. 13 in size and vigor of plant re- 

 sembled potato vines more than Strawberry vines, 

 as we are accustomed to seeing them. This vari- 

 ety produces berries that are almost round, as 

 deep in color as the old Black Defiance and so 

 rich in saccharine matter as to make the use of 

 sugar in connection with them objectionable. No. 

 14 [Late Jersey Giant] may be described as a 

 glorified Gandy — the berries ijeing fully twice the 

 size of that grand Strawberry, yielding far more 

 freely, the plant a larger, stronger grower and 

 the color of the fruit even more brilliant. But to 

 learn what these berries are really like, one must 

 see them and I am sure anybody at all interested 

 in Strawberries will be well paid for a trip to 

 Little Silver in Strawberry time to inspect them." 



[Extract from Report 1912, Special Fruit and 

 Flower Committee, Mr. Elias S. Black, 

 Chairman.] 



"Mr. Lovett still has those seedling Strawberries 

 of Dr. Van Fleet that have been spoken about 

 several times in this Society. Why he does not 

 disseminate them, 1 don't know. I have never 

 seen a lot of Strawberries do so well in different 

 places as those Strawberries have done, both in 

 plants and in berry ; and yet he keeps them there 

 to delight his friends, I suppose, and to look at 

 them himself. But, at any rate, Mr. Lovett has 

 never put them out, and his only explanation 

 seems to be that he wants to try them still fur- 

 ther. I believe they are the very best seedlings 

 that I have ever seen in my life and I have grown 

 some pretty good ones myself." 



/ HUB 



Produced by one Massachusetts Strawberry 

 veteran and introduced by another, who says in 

 describing it: "The" Hub is a seedling of the 

 Bubach and the Belmont, the latter of which it 

 resembles in shape. The fruit is large, smooth 

 and firm, dark glossy red in color and shines as 

 if it were varnished. I think I do not exaggerate 

 when I say that it is the most attractive Straw- 

 berry I have ever seen, and I have been growing 

 Strawberries for fifty-seven years. The plants 

 of the Hub are productive and their season is 

 from medium to late. They have enough strong, 

 healthy runners but these are not in excess. The 

 originator of the Hub considers its quality better 

 than that of the Marshall, and I consider the 

 Marshall the standard of excellence in quality. 



'Tn the past fifty-seven years of growing Straw- 

 ber^-ies I never had a berry that I would rather 

 have than the Hub, and I have gi-own many 

 kinds." 



Of this superb New England variety I have 

 heard most flattering accounts from different grow- 

 ers. It is a good grower with me, but has not 

 as yet fruited at Monmouth. I regard it as most 

 promising. Plants of it were first sent out in 

 the spring of 1912 and at a lofty price. Dozen, 

 Si. 00: 100. $3.50; 1,000. $25.00. 



/ PEARL 



Of this new variety the originator says: '"After 

 nine years of cross pollenization and four years 

 testing by the side of Gandy and Commonwealth, 

 I believe I have the best extra late Strawberry 

 as yet produced. It ripens when midseason va- 

 rieties are gone and extends the season ten to 

 twelve days after Gandy is gone. The berries 

 are as large as those of the Gandy and the plants 

 are more productive. Every blossom sets a berry 

 and the berries hold up well in size to the last 

 picking. Tliere are no green tips; it is a first- 

 class shipper; quality good. Blossom perfect, 

 plants never rust, have heavy root system and 

 stands the drought as well as Senator Dunlap. 

 It is one of the strongest growers and succeeds 

 on both light and heavy soils." 



This is claiming a vast deal for a Strawberry, 

 yet I am convinced of the sincerity of Mr. Loomis, 

 who wrote it, and I shall watch this berry with 

 much interest the coming season. I can and do 

 commend it for trial. Dozen, 50c.; 100, $3.00. 



Garvix Co., Okla., April 10, 1012. 

 I received Strawberries in fine condition and am 

 well pleased with everything. Looks like every 

 one will live. 



Mrs. W. D. Derrick. 



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