GEM 
For many years Gem has been our favorite of all 
the everbearing varieties. The plants are not gen- 
erally as large and strong as Mastodon but it makes 
plants much more freely. As compared with Masto- 
don, Gem is much more productive in late summer 
and fall. This has been our main reason for preferring 
Gem to other varieties — consistent fall production. 
The berries are also prettier, ripening evenly and 
having a light color which makes them very attrac- 
tive in the package. This light color darkens very 
little on holding. In quality the berries are somewhat 
tart but with a fine flavor either for eating fresh from 
the vines or with sugar. Gem berries are fairly firm 
and can be handled on local markets and for ship- 
ment very nicely. 
As a spring cropper Gem is no good at all. Like 
other everbearers Gem has been best in the middle 
and northern states but is better for southern gardens 
except perhaps the new Superfection which is so 
much like Gem in many respects. Price List page 31 . 
SUPERFECTION 
Tremendous amounts of advertising and superb performance of the plants themselves have probably 
caifsed Superfection to be planted in more home gardens and in more commercial plantings than any other 
everbearer. This has happened in a very short time. 
After having grown Superfection for three years we rate it as the best of all, chiefly on account of its pro- 
ductiveness. It is no good as a spring fruiting variety but has had rather consistent and large production in late 
summer and fall. Plant growth is very similar to Gem but sometimes more vigorous. The berries are almost 
identical with Gem in appearance, color, size and flavor. This means that they are very attractive and good 
enough to be enjoyed thoroughly in the home garden or sold from commercial plantings. Superfection has been 
generally but not always more productive than Gem. If we were limited to just one everbearing variety in the 
home garden or commercial planting, Superfection would be our choice, Price List page 31. 
In the spring o£ 1951 we set plants o£ live varieties of everbearers, including the three mentioned 
above. The plants we used of Gem were selected plants from our own Gem stock. The Brilliant plants 
we used were 100 each from the two nurseries selected by the originator to promote and sell Brilliant. 
The Superfection plants were from our own stock which we have been growing for three years. We 
are confident that all of the varieties are true to name and from original sources. These varieties were 
set under the sawdust mulch spaced plant system with runners removed. They were replicated four 
times to eliminate diHerences due to soil variations and all received exactly the same treatment. On 
October 22, 1951, these plots were examined by a leading strawberry expert from the U. S. D. A. at 
Beltsville, by the State plant inspector for Maryland, by another leading strawberry plant nurseryman 
in this section and by two members of our own firm. In this test not one of these people coi^d dis- 
tinguish any differences between Gem, Superfection and Brilliant either in vigor and characteristics 
of plant gorwth or in the size, appearance, taste of berries or productiveness of the plants. 
So far as we know nobody has yet claimed that these three varieties are identical. In our long 
experience in growing strawberries Mr. W. F. Allen and his sons have called attention to many dupli- 
cations in variety names. It has been our experience that when plant characteristics and fruit char- 
acteristics are identical the varieties are likely to be. Temporary differences in vigor of plant growth 
and productiveness of fruit can be explained by the following : 
1. Invigorating effects of a change of soil and climate, particularly when new varieties are brought in. 
2, Reduction in vigor of the older varieties due to virus or other disease which causes a variety to 
"run down." 
We have reached no positive conclusions about these three varieties but will be glad to hear from 
anyone who has grown them under direct comparison. 
