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Big Joe, Joe, and Joe Johnson are all names that have been given to this fine old variety. Big Joe makes a 
strong, vigorous plant growth. The individual plants are quite large and usually do not need spacing. The 
plants are moderately productive and under favorable conditions may be very productive. The berries are large 
and of very fine quality. A brilliant red flesh color, prominent red to yellow seeds and a big green cap combine 
to make a very showy and attractive berry. Big Joe berries are fairly firm and in this shipping section of Mary- 
land they have for years sold well on local auction markets, outselling Catskill much of the time. 
In tests for several years Big Joe has been one of the very best for freezing. More recent trials show 
Midland as best but Big Joe still high on the list of desirable varieties for freezing. 
One weakness of Big Joe is that it isn't always a heavy producer. A heavy frost or light freeze may kill 
the crop or nip the blossoms enough to make too many misshapen berries with hard, knotty green ends. In 
this respect Big Joe is supposed to be more susceptible than many other varieties. However, in spring of 1945 
after the late frost that drastically reduced the crop in this section, Big Joe had a good yield- -as good as several 
other varieties considered much more hardy. At any rate a selection of planting sites to avoid frost pockets or 
proper handling of mulch in spring will enable growers who know and like Big Joe to grow it safely and 
profitably. 
If you are a Big Joe grower, be careful of mixed plants. We are positive that our stock is straight, but there 
are dozens, of farmers in Maryland and Delaware who have Big Joe thoroughly mixed with Lupton. As both are 
good varieties here and nearly the same season, they don't try very hard to get them straight. We have seen 
so much of this particular mixture that we have been extra careful on these varieties and can supply you from 
