18 



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



WEALTH 



COMMONWEALTH.— The past season being an 

 unfavorable one, I can make no personal report on 

 this variety. My stock of plants, I think, are as 

 good as can be shown by any grower. It is my 

 opinion that this will not make a good variety for 

 the South, but hava no doubt that in the rich truck 

 gardens of New England and the West that it will 

 become a very fancy berrv. I quote from Mr. Mon- 

 roe, the originator, as follows : 



"The Commonwealth is the outcome of the desire and an 

 effort to produce a berry that would perceptibly lengthen the 

 strawberry season. In the Commonwealth we have a berry 

 that is as large as the largest, as productive as any of the 

 largest, as fine flavor, as solid and as dark color as any. It has 

 a smooth surface, is very rich and juicy, and has strong stam- 

 inate blossoms, On the 17th day of July. 1902, as good berries 

 were picked as at any time during its season; Marshall, Glen 

 Mary and McKinley, side by side with it, being gone. The 

 last berries were picked July 22d. The plant is a strong 

 grower, not so rank as the Marshall, and a fair plant-maker. 

 The Massachusetts Horticultural Society, always ready to rec- 

 ognize special merit, awarded the Commonwealth first prize 

 in competition July 5, 1902, and July 11, 1903." 



James J. H. Gregory, the well-known seedsman, 

 of Marbleliead, Mass., has this to say : 



."I saw the Commonwealth on the grounds of the originator, 

 and a grand sight it was. The berry is tremendously large 

 (fourteen of those I picked filled a quart basket), the berries 

 are symmetrical in shape, and have a rich, glossy color; the 

 flesh is red, nearly as dark as the Marshall. It is a great 

 cropper and appears to be hard flesh enough to ship well. One 

 of its most valuable characteristics is its lateness in maturing, 

 for when I was there July 2d the large bed which had bushels 

 of growing fruit had to be searched over very carefully to 

 find a quart of ripe berries." 



C. S. Pratt says: "It is a week later than Sample and a bet- 

 ter berry: it will be sold as the Marshall and nine-tenths of 

 the people will not know the difference." Benjamin M. Smith, 

 of Beverly, Mass., well known as a grower of fine strawberries 

 and the introducer of the Beverly strawberry, says that he 

 has "watched the Commonwealth carefully on the originator's 

 grounds by the side of all the leading varieties, and for vigor 

 and plant productiveness and quality of fruit it excels them 

 alL" He says it is very late and one of the best he ever saw. 



P. ST? 



si*! 



<s I r" 



♦ OOMO ♦ 



NICK OHMER. — While some large growers plant 

 mere largely of this variety than any other, it does 

 not seem to be a general favorite with the great mass 

 of strawberry growers. It is a vai iety that responds 

 readily to high culture and extra attemion. It 

 thrives best on deep raiher moist soil, and responds 

 to extra care. It is not a berry that I would recom- 

 mend if it is to be at ail neglected. It has a strong, 

 perfect blossom, productive of laree, rich, dark red. 

 glcbul ir berries, highly colored all the way through 

 and of a superior flavor. It is a groat market ben y 

 and al o a surjrrb variety tor the home table. Our 

 stcck of plants of this variety for 19. r 7 is very nice. 



NICK OHMER, 



