ALLEN'S STRAWBERRY PLANT CATALOGUE. ] 13 



ing no green points, and presents a strikingly attractive appearance throughout 

 the season. It is of firm texture of a superior flavor. : ' This variety has not 

 fruited in Salisbury. 



EXCELSIOR.— (See lower half 1st cover page.! I do not bes-i 1 ate to 

 that the Excelsior is decidedly the best early strawberry and the ear 

 strawberry that has ever been offered the American grower. I ,<-ay this not be- 

 cause I heard someone else say so, or because I saw it in the originator 's der-crip 

 tion, but because I am aware of the fact from personal experience, I have been 

 growing Excelsior since the first year it was offered for sale; paying somewhere 

 in the neighborhood of 3100.00 per thousand for the plants, /and had I known 

 half as much about it as I do now, I would have bought all the plants there 

 were, even at a higher price. From the first it has proven to be decidedlv the 

 earliest berry that I have ever grown: being from 3 to 4 days earlier than Mitch 

 el's Early. In the same field, with Mitchel's Early, having the advantage 

 of a dense pine thicket on the North side of the field, last year I fruited exactly 

 11 acres, one acre of which was on a washy hillside, and did not produce more 

 than half as many berries per acre as the balance of the field; yet this field of 11 

 acres picked 55,902 qts., or 5,082 qts per acre. In a field test, without any spec- 

 ial favors being 6hown, of course, I am aware that the catalogues tell us of gteat 

 yields. In eome instances a6 much as 15 or 20 thousand quarts per acre; and oc- 

 casionally even greater claims than this are made. The calculation generally 

 being based upon a square rod or short piece of row, no space being allowed for 

 middles, or by some other deceptive calculations: but I am satisfied with a yield 

 like this, and if any of my patrons have made a better one in the past season on 

 an equal acreage, I would be pleased very much to know all the particulars. 

 This field of Excelsior was planted in the spring of 1901, and as I said before, had 

 no special care whatever, and not a pound of fertilizer until about the first of 

 November when I gave it a top dressing of about 1,000 pounds of Mapes Fruit 

 and Vine fertilizer per acre, afterwards covering the entire surface lightly with 

 wheat straw. The next thing I did was to pick the crop. 



So well am I pleased with the result of this crop, that I expect to plant for 

 fruit th^ coming winter and spring, about 80 acres of this variety alone. I think 

 this is the best proof that I could give you of my good opinion of the Excelsior, 

 which is a persistent healthy grower, a cross between Hoffman and Wilson 

 Albany, twice as vigorous and healthy as either, will average larger than Hoff- 

 man, twice as productive, and equally as firm, which is saying a great deal, but 

 not one word more than I can substantiate. 



ENHANCE.— Medium to late, long season and good pollenizer. Berries 

 somewhat irregular in shape, medium to large and firim A rank, vigorous 

 grower, with very healthy foliage. 



FAIRFIELD. — This variety has not fruited here; being one of the new 

 candidates for public favor. My attention was first ca'led to it last spring by 

 Mr. Stanton B. Cole of Cumberland Co., N. J., the introducer, who speaks of it 

 as follows: 'In the spring of 1901 our attention was called to anew seedling 

 strawberry growing on P. Johnson's farm: and just as it was commencing to 

 ripen, we made it a point to go and see the berry and plants. We were verv 

 much pleased with it, and thought it a berry worthy of general, distribution, 

 and a yaluable addition to the already long list of strawberries, but Mr. John- 

 son and I could not agree, as he had long enjoyed a monopoly of this variety. 

 He had let no one have any plants as the fruit was paying him much better 

 than any, of some dozen or 20 kinds growing, and he has from 20 to 80 

 and not until the 20th of December, 1901, did I induce Mr. John-> n to giv« the 

 plants general distribution. No genuine plants can be obtained except from 

 us. Mr. Johnson says he has never seen any berry nearly its equal for earli- 

 ness, large size, attractive color, quality and firmness. " This is a good m <ny 

 superlatives to put on one variety, nevertheless, I give you the author, and you 

 must use your own judgement until I can fruit it and speak personally. I can 

 say this however, that the plants are strong and vigorous, and cenainly look 

 very promising at this time, and if the fruit and fruiting capacity of the variety 

 is one half as gjod as Mr. Johnson thinks, it would be worth trying. 



