12 ALLEN'S BOOK OF BERRIES— -1923 



4. Sturdiness. Our growing season is moderately long, just long enough to 

 secure maximum development of both roots and crowns. Constant hoeing and culti- 

 vation and the tons of manure we apply help keep them healthy and in prime growing 

 condition. The large size, good roots, and great vitality of our plants are a form of 

 insurance, worth in itself, the cost of the plants. You want this kind. 



5. Healthiness. Our plants are healthy and vigorous as grown in the field. 

 Furthermore, our plants are well cleaned ; the dead and decaying runners and old leaves 

 around the stems are trimmed off, so that it would be almost impossible to transmit 

 diseases even if they were present. 



6. Hardiness. Our plants are producing fine crops of berries in every state in 

 the United States. We have letters of testimonial from Maine to California, from 

 Florida to Michigan and from Vancouver to Nova Scotia in Canada. We supply 

 many thousands of plants to Cuba and the Bermuda Islands. Wherever strawberries 

 are grown successfully you will find many of the most successful growers using Allen's 

 Plants. They are hardy everywhere. Read paragraph page 32 on "Allen's Plants 

 in the North." 



7. True-to-Name. Don't waste a year's time and work growing your straw- 

 berry patch only to find at fruiting time you have small inferior berries instead of the 

 large luscious profit or pleasure-giving berries you expected. We believe our reputa- 

 tion for sending out true-to-name plants is second to none in this country. It will 

 pay to get plants you know are true-to-name. We exercise the greatest care in keeping 

 plants straight when planting. All our plants are labeled in the field when dug and 

 the label is never taken from them until they are in the fiield or gardens of our cus- 

 tomers. All plants are tied in bunches of 25 each and a printed wooden label is in each 

 bunch. 



8. Grading and Packing. Our plants are dug fresh for shipment each day. 

 Practically all of them are shipped out within 24 hours after they are dug. The plants 

 are counted and bunched in our packing houses which have dirt floors. This prevents 

 the wind and sun from drying out the roots, and the dirt floor also helps keep them 

 fresh and moist. But the roots of all our plants are moistened before packing, which 

 aids the plants in keeping fresh and "plump" in transportation, rather than dry and 

 withered. The counters are instructed to throw out any broken, immature, poorly 

 rooted plants, and close supervision is given to see that this is done. Twenty-five 

 good plants are in each bunch. The plants are packed in light strong crates. The tops 

 of plants are packed outside to give air and prevent possible heating. The roots in- 

 side are well packed in light sphagnum moss to help keep the plants and roots fresh 

 and moist. 



9. Prompt Shipment. It adds something to the value of your plants to have 

 them at hand at the proper time. We have the climate, the help, and the personal 

 supervision and interest in our business that gets things done on time. We can make 

 prompt shipment of your order. 



10. Service. The service we render strawberry growers is three-fold. First, 

 the care and attention we give to growing our Good, True-to-Name Plants, and the 

 fact that we supply them at a reasonable price; second, after the order is received, the 

 close supervision we give to every detail of preparing plants for shipment. This in- 

 cludes digging and cleaning, grading (throwing out inferior plants), counting (25 good 

 plants to each bunch), bunching (plants and roots straightened out, making a neat 

 bundle, so that plants handle easily and make planting quicker and better) packing, 

 using the most scientific methods to insure plants reaching customers in thrifty grow- 

 ing condition. The third phase of our service is advice or information based on our 38 

 years of experience in growing and selling strawberries and strawberry plants. We 

 will gladly answer any questions we can as to selection of varieties for your soil or cli- 

 mate, or anything connected with the cultivation, fertilizing, or marketing of your berries. 



Does not the fact that Mr. W. F. Allen and his three sons own the business and are 

 financially interested and actively at work in carrying it on, make it likely that the 

 things mentioned above will be better and more carefully done than if the business was 

 carried on largely by "hired men". We believe this personal interest will be reflected 

 in your results. 



Liberal Count. 



Saint Marys Co., Md., April 10, 1922. 

 I received the strawherry plants sometime ago and I am more than pleased with them. I noticed 

 your liberal count. I have them all planted and doing nicely. Ernest Lane. 



