328 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



and five inches in circumference. They have 

 been grown here six inches. The vine is large, 

 hardy, and a hermaphrodite. The berry is 

 light coloured, of excellent quality, and toler- 

 ably firm. There vi^ould be no difficulty in cul- 

 tivating it f(ir the home market. Mr. Forbes, 

 the very intelligent gardener of Mr, Perkins, 

 also cultivates this fruit on his own account. 

 We f )und here McAmrfs Extra Red, which is 

 a very remarkable berry for size and produc- 

 tiveness. There could not have been less than 

 a quart on many of the single. vines. But this 

 showy fruit has a pungent acid flavour, which 

 must make a very large drain upon the sugar 

 bowl. McAvoi/s Superior is a much better 

 fruit, and almost as productive. Tlie only ob- 

 jection to it is, that it is too soft for a market 

 berry. Scotfs Seedling is a long, cone-shaped 

 fruit, of good quality, and productive. This, 

 we are informed is a favourite iji the Boston 

 market. Burr's New Pine, which stands so 

 high for quality, is discarded by Mr. Forbes as 

 a poor grower, and shy bearer. The fruit is 

 not large, and indeed has nothing but its ex- 

 cellent quality to recommend it. Goliath 

 ^is a seedling of Fiver's Eliza; much like the 

 parent in all respects. 



Rev. J. P. Gulliver has within a few years 

 sought health in a garden, and has already one 

 of the best selections of sgfiall fruits in the city. 

 Ho has near a dozen varieties of strawberries. 

 Among them is the Moyamensing Pine, a late 

 berry, much cultivated for the Philadelphia 

 market. The vine is very large and produc- 

 tive, the berry among the largeist and of good 

 quality. It is an excellent variety for preserv- 

 ing. We found here, also, the celebrated Pea- 

 hody's Seedling, which has been sent out so 

 extensively over the country the last two sea- 

 sons. We were particular in testing this ber- 

 ry, in three other gardens, and have had good 

 opportunities to compare it with other good 

 varieties. We must say, that so far, we see 

 nothing in it to pay for the fifty thousand dol- 

 lars it has cost the country. We were disap- 

 pointed at its productiveness. Well-grown 

 plants do not yield anything like the quantity 

 of Ilocey's Seedling or Longicor tit's Prolijic. 

 This, perhaps, may be partly accounted for, in 

 the fiict that the plants have been severely 

 taxed in making new runners to sell. But the 

 quality does not meet our expectations. The 

 first berries we tried grew upon a bed that 

 had been purposely left thick for supply- 

 ing plants. The fruit was insipid. The next 

 was upon plants having the full advantage of 

 sunshine and good cultivation. The berries 

 were of higher flavour, but stringy ; not better 

 in quality than a Long worth,' and not equal to 

 a Buna's New Pine, with which we compare 

 them repeatedly, picking both berries fresh 

 from vines that grew side by side. It is a lit- 

 tle remarkable that this berry and the Dio- 

 scorea Batatas of Prince, had the advantage 

 of plates and official notiee in the Patent Office] 



report. The Walker's Seedling Nourishes here, 

 and is preferred to all others for its luscious 

 pine flavour. Compared with Peabody's Seed- 

 ling, Walker's or Wilson's Seedling is vastly 

 superior in firmness, flavour and productive- 

 ness. We hazard nothing in saying that the 

 Walker and the Wilson Seedlings which have 

 been noiselessly disseminated, will in a short 

 time take the place of the boasted Peabody. The 

 latter, owing to its want of firmness and fla- 

 vour, will never become a market berry. Ama- 

 teurs may retain it as a variety. 



At New London, straAvberry culture has 

 been longer established, and the plantations 

 in the suburbs not only supply the city, but 

 send off large quantities to other markets. 

 They receive only field cultivation, and the va- 

 rieties are not well selected for size or produc- 

 tiveness. With the gardens of amateurs here 

 we are not particularly acquainted. 



Stonington is just beginning to grow its 

 own strawberries. Of the private gardens, 

 that of J. I. Bay comes nearest to our ideal 

 of what a fruit garden should be. Both 

 the large and small fruits are abundantly rep- 

 resented, with the best varieties. It has the 

 prime advantage of shelter, being situated on 

 the Southern edge of a piece of woodland, and 

 all fruits are about a week earlier than the 

 same varieties in gardens, within a mile's dis- 

 tance, upon the sea shore, in exposed situations, 

 he still cultivates the Boston Pine and Honey's 

 Seedling — the latter doing well with him, 

 while it has been discarded from two gardens 

 in the vicinity more exposed to the sea breeze. 

 We have rarely seen a finer display of straw- 

 berries than in this garden. 



The gardener of J. F. Trumbull, Esq., is be- 

 ginning to grow them for market. lie has the 

 Longworth's Prolific, McAvoy's Superior, Jenny 

 Lind, Brighton Pine and Walker's Seedling. 

 The Jenny Lirid is a strong grower, prolific, 

 and of f\iir quality. It wants the full advan- 

 tage of the sun-light, and of good soil, to bring 

 out all its good qualities. The Brighton Pine 

 is a new variety, sent out only two years since. 

 It is hardy, prolific, and of excellent quality^ 



Of all the varieties that we have seen in this 

 trip, we give a decided preference to the Wal- 

 ker's Seedling. It has more of the points of 

 a good strawberry than any other with which 

 we are acquainted. As to flavour, which is the 

 main thing vt'ith a strawberry, in a private 

 garden, it is decidedly better than Burr's New 

 Pine, which is a standard of excellence. It is 

 hardy, a strong grower, and very prolific, ri- 

 pening its berries in succession through a long 

 season. It is a solid berry, and bears carriage 

 well. It retains its form, after preserving, 

 more perfectly than most berries. It is al- 

 ready so widely distributed among nursery men 

 and amateurs, that the plants can be fur- 

 nished in any desired quantities as cheap as 

 the more common varieties. We trust Wil- 

 son's Seedling, which so nearly resembles the 



