16 



W. F. Allen's Plant and Seed Catalogue, Salisbury, Md. 



EXCELSIOR. — There is nothing that I have ever 

 seen that is earlier than the Excelsior. The fruit is 

 of good size, very productive and one of the best 

 shipping berries. I have grown acres of it that 

 would average over 5,000 quarts to the acre. Taking 

 the whole country over, this variety has been, and 

 s probably still, more largely grown than any other 

 extra early variety. If given half a chance, it will 

 take care of itself and bring splendid returns. 



GANDY. — Too well known to need any extended 

 description. This is the standard late variety all 

 over the country. Two years ago, when we had 

 our voting contest of varieties, the Gandy received 

 more than twice as many votes as any other late 

 market berry. It should be planted in black swamp 

 land if possible; otherwise, in clay land or medium 

 land on the springy order; never on dry, sandy land. 

 I have an excellent stock of plants of this popular 

 .sort this season. 



HEFLIM'S EARLY makes a splendid growth of 

 vigorous plants, free from disease. Its fine color 

 and carrying quality make it a popular market vari- 

 ety. This variety has been grown to a considerable 

 extent on the Maryland and Delaware Peninsula, 

 and in large quantities in the South. It does not 

 seem to be over and above productive, but every 

 berry is a perfect one, and in the end the number of 

 quarts compare favorably with other varieties. 



GEN. JOE WHEELER.— This is a Southern variety 

 and is supposed to be a descendant of the Lady 

 Thomson, as its foliage bears quite a little resem- 

 blance to that variety. It is about equal to Lady 

 Thompson in size and very much resembles it in 

 color and productiveness. It has a perfect blossom 

 and is very strong, vigorous and healthy. Season a 

 iittle earlier than lady Thomson. 



BUSTER fruited 

 with me last season 

 for the first time, 

 under very unfavor- 

 able conditions; 

 nevertheless, it 

 made a good im- 

 pression with me, as 

 it was heavily load- 

 ed with large, well- 

 colored berries. It 

 has an abundance of 

 dark green foliage, 

 without a spot of 

 rust. This is a Ca- 

 nadian variety, and 

 I quote you the fol- 

 lowing from the 

 Ottawa Ex periment 

 Station : 



"Buster is said to be 

 a cross between Bubach 

 and Sharpless. It is a 

 pistillate variety, medi- 

 um late in season, of 

 large size, bright light 

 red, moderately firm, 

 and medium quality. 

 The points which make 

 it superior to many ot h- 

 er varieties are its long 

 fruiting season, thefact 

 that itholdsitssizewell 

 to the last picking, its 

 good foliage, and great 

 productiveness." 



It is my opinion 

 that all who care to 

 grow this variety 

 will be well pleased 

 with it. 



MAY KING.— 22 

 years ago, when I 

 first entered the 

 plant business, on a very small scale, the May King 

 was the first variety I grew for plants. It pleased a 

 great many growers at that time, and, to my knowl- 

 edge, made money for quite a number of them. I 

 grew this variety for a number of years (I forget just 

 how long), and finally let it go altogether Some 

 three or four years asro I tried to get a new sto( k of 

 it, and had great difficulty in doing so, but finally, 

 two years ago, I procured about 300 plants. These 

 were miscarried to Salisbury, N C, and finally 

 reached me almost dead; but, using great care, I 

 succeeded in saving 100 of these plants. From those 

 I now have about 40.000. Judging from the money 

 made on this variety years ago, I am inclined to 

 think that it would still be a very profitable variety 

 to grow for market. My main object, however, in 

 putting it in stock again, was to supply my many 

 customers who wanted a strictly first-class eaWy 

 berry for home table. As I remember it, there are 

 few varieties equal to it, and to those seeking a 

 strictly fine table berry among the early varieties, 

 I especially recommend the May King; and as to its 

 market value, I have in mind one party to whom I 

 sold several thousand plants; I think it was twenty- 

 One years ago this spring. He sold his entire crop 

 in the New York market for from 18 to 2.5 cents per 

 quart. This party was so well pleased that he never 

 refused to buy any new variety that I recommended 

 afterward as long as he lived. 



SPLENDID" — Very productive of uniform, medium- 

 size berries. It should not, however, be allowed to 

 get too thick, as it will do if not kept thinned out. 

 It has a strong staminate blossom and is one of the 

 best to pollenize such pistillate varieties as Warfield, 

 Crescent and others of that class. This berry is well 

 named, as under favorable conditions it is certainly 

 splendid. 



