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J. T. LOVETT, LITTLE SILVER, NEW JERSEY 



The Van Fleet Hybrid Strawberries 



A New and Distinct Race of Strawberries 



Undoubtedly no strawberries have ever had such wide and thorough endorsement by horticultural 

 authorities, or had so many nice things said about them as these Van Fleet Hybrids. 



They were produced by Dr. Walter Van Fleet, the greatest hybridizer the world has ever known; 

 and unite the good properties of our best American varieties with the finest varieties of Europe. The Doctor 

 (who is now connected with the Bureau of Plant Industry of the United States Department of Agriculture), 

 when living at Little Silver created thousands of these hybrids in a thoroughly scientific manner, and after 

 carefully testing them, sold the entire lot to me. In writing of them, in his usual modest way, Dr. Van Fleet 

 says, "In August, 1910, I sold you with the exclusive right to introduce, my entire stock of hybrid Straw- 

 berries, raised during the years 1907-1909; as a result of intercrossing the most vigorous high quality Euro- 

 pean varieties — such as Jucunda, Alfonso, Xiij and Pres. De la Da Devansay — with the best native kinds! 

 including Wm. Belt, President, Nick Ohmer and Chesapeake. The result was the finest lot of seedling 

 varieties probably ever produced, excelling in vigor, hardiness, productiveness and plant-making power, 

 as well as size, quality and attractiveness of berries, any I have ever tested." 



All of these hybrid Strawberries are most vigorous and sturdy in plant growth, are exceedingly prolific 

 of very large, exquisitely beautiful berries and what is best of all — excel in high quality — rivaling in aroma 

 and lusciousness the native wild Strawberry. Before leaving Little Silver, Doctor Van Fleet made a selection 

 of a score of varieties as the best of them all. Since 1910 1 have had these under careful trial and of them, 

 all things considered, I regard Early Jersey Giant, (No. 10), Edmund Wilson, (No. 13), Late Jersey Giant, 

 (No. 14), and John H. Cook, or (No. 7), as the most valuable. 



Not only are the Van Fleet Hybrids unrivaled for the home garden but have proved to excel all other 

 varieties in cultivation as commercial strawberries — due to the vigor of plant, prolific yield, large size, 

 beauty, and good marketing properties. All except the Edmund Wilson; and this would be also, were it 

 not of a color that is not popular in most markets. An enterprising fruit grower living near me who bought 

 plants of the Early and Late Jersey Giants, when first offered, fruited quite an acreage of them the season 

 just past. He is a grower of choice berries and for some years back has made a specialty of the Chesapeake, 

 which succeeds admirably with him. The Jersey Giants however outyielded by far the Chesapeake and 

 all other varieties, and sold at wholesale throughout the season for three to four cents a quart more than 

 any other strawberry he marketed. In my own fields (I sold practically all my plants in spring of the Jersey 

 Giants) from a half acre of the John H. Cook the returns were simply marvelous. There was no other 

 variety in the whole ten-acre field that approached it; that even "came within speaking distance" of it. 

 In last year's catalog I said the John H. Cook would make people "sit up and take notice;" and it did that 

 very thing in a most amazing way, upon my grounds in June just past. I firmly believe this will become the 

 leading commercial strawberry of the near future. 



I sincerely regret that space will not permit me to reprint the numerous letters recently received, 

 referring to these remarkable strawberries. I have selected one from Mr. J. P. Clark of Pantego, North 

 Carolina, bearing date of June 3rd, 1915, as a sample of a score or more of similar tenor and purport. He 

 writes: "In regard to the strawberry plants purchased from you, the Early and Late Jersey Giants (I lost 

 the Edmund Wilson by carelessness) I can not find words of praise sufficient. Have only found one berry, 

 Kellogg's Prize, that was in their class. The Early Jersey Giant has been bearing for five weeks and some 

 plants are still in blossom." 



The Early Jersey Giant and Late Jersey Giunt were awarded first prize at the recent summer meeting 

 of the New Jersey State Horticultural Society. They were exhibited by a disinterested fruit grower — 

 not by me. The other Van Fleet Hybrids were not exhibited. 



EARLY JERSEY GIANT (Van Fleet No. 10) 



Pre-eminently the finest of the early varieties. As a matter of fact there is no known variety that ripens 

 earlier and no variety yielding large berries that comes anywhere near it in earliness. It is also brilliant 

 scarlet-crimson in color, and exceptionally firm — by far the firmest of all early varieties. 



Berries very large, conical with pointed tip, colors all over at once, has delightful aroma and rich, 

 mild wild Strawberry flavor. Large light green calyx or "burr," hence exceedingly showy and attractive. 

 Blossoms, large, open, rather late and staminate. Plant a strong grower with large leaves on long pliant 

 stems and a heavy yielder. The largest and best very early variety. 



Pot-grown plants, dozen, 60c; 100, $3.50; 1000, $30.00. 



