STRAWBERRY PLANTS OF QUALITY 19 



What Varieties Shall I Plant 



I am often asked this question and it is a loj?ical one for with so many varieties to 

 choose from it is somewhat confusing especinlly to the beginner and makes it hard for 

 him, or her, to tell just wliich is the best variety to plant, so 1 am going to select the best 

 varieties in each season. 



DOKSETT, FAIRFAX and PREMIER are the outstanding early varieties. Premier 

 has been the best, the most popular and the greatest money making early variety and 

 is just as good now as it ever was, but is losing much of its prestige now that Dorsett 

 and Fairfax are becoming better known for these varieties have all the qualifications 

 necessary to make them leaders and with their productiveness, size and flavor are 

 rapidly coming into popular favor. South of Pennsylvania BLAKEMORE is fast com- 

 ing into popular favor as a long distance shipping variety and for the south should 

 take the place of Missionary (except in Florida) and Klondyke as it will make them 

 more money. Southland is a good home garden and local market variety for the south. 



BIG JOE is easily the best mid-season variety and one that has made growers the 

 most money but CxVTSKILL comes so highly recommended that growers should give it 

 a thorough trial to see which variety will make them the most money under their con- 

 ditions. ABERDEEN and BEAUTY are both of good quality and can be planted where 

 for some reason Big Joe and Catskill are not at their best and the market is near at 

 hand as both of these are too soft for distant shipping. 



GHESAPEAKP] is the best late variety and will make you more money than any 

 other variety if you have land that will suit it. Chesapeak(; is the aristocrat of the 

 strawberry family and always sells for top prices and because it does not make a 

 heavy matted row the berries are large and run large to the end of the season. If your 

 land does not suit Chesapeake IjUPTON is the variety to plant unless you have a mar- 

 ket that will pay a premium for quality, then if you live north of Mason-Dixon line, 

 AVm. Belt is the variety to plant. 



MASTODON is the best everbearing variety to grow commercially as it is firm 

 enough to ship moderate distance; also excellent for the home garden. GEM comes 

 highly recommended because of its vigor, appearance and qualitj' and is well worthy 

 of a trial. CHAMPION is the best flavored of the everbearers but is small and soft 

 and should only be planted for the home garden. 



All the other varieties I list are dependable money making varieties under some 

 conditions and if you have tried and like them, well and good, but if you are doubtful 

 or uncertain plant the varieties mentioned above. 



Some Thoughts on Buying Plants 



I believe it will pay you to buy your plants not only because I have plants to sell but 

 there are some advantages in buying them that I submit for consideration as I believe 

 these will bring you greater profits than the saving you make by digging your own, 

 namely : 



1. — The convenience of having plants there ready to set at the most favorable time so 

 as to take advantage of the first good days of spring. Early planting pays and is one of 

 the surest ways to success in growing strawberries for about 99 per cent of the early set 

 patches are successful. 



2. — The money you would receive from the plants during the two years that you could 

 fruit them. 



3. — The trouble and expense of digging and cleaning your own plants often with in- 

 experienced help, from ground that is hard and sticky so that the roots would be broken 

 oft' in digging and the soil would not come oft without a great deal of shaking causing loss 

 of time at the season of the year when every good day counts. 



4. — Then you lose the invigorating effect that comes from a change in climate and 

 soil as these often show a marked gain. 



5. — Many of the best strawberry soils are heavy and the plants are short rooted and 

 will not do as well especially if the season is dry and then the plants can not be set as 

 quickly or as well as the plants I can furnish you which are grown on sandy soil espec- 

 ially for plants and have long bright roots, are nicely trimmed and evenly bunched. 



