20 Allen's Book of Berries — 1930 



Early Varieties 



PREMIER (Howard 17) 



Premier is still the real money maker among the early varieties of straw- 

 berries. It has given more general satisfaction than any other variety ever in- 

 troduced. For the home garden, for local market or for shipping moderate dis- 

 tances it outclasses them all. For long distance shipping Premier does not seem 

 to be quite as popular as some of the smaller, firmer varieties, but for heavier 

 production of large, high quality, fine appearing berries Premier has no equal. 

 We are listing some facts about Premier and its growth, with which w^e feel that 

 every berry grower should be acquainted. 



1. SoiL Premier responds wonderfully to good soil and good care but it will do 

 better than other varieties on poor soil and with indifferent care. Note the 

 letters on page 5, the wide variety of soil and climatic conditions in which Premier 

 has more than made good. 



2. Productiveness. The plants are immensely productive, ripening early 

 and bearing through a long season. No variety yields more quarts per acre. 

 This is especially important where land is limited and the maximum quantity 

 of fancy berries is desired, 



3. Growth. Premier makes an abundant plant growth for a good fruiting 

 bed, making a plentiful number of nice strong plants rather than great numbers 

 of small, weak ones which require extra labor in thinning and hoeing, although 

 on very rich soil it is sometimes necessary to keep the plants thinned somewhat. 



4. Appearance. The berries are beautiful in appearance, having uniform 

 shape and a glossy, rich, red color, extending clear through the berry. 



5. Attractiveness. The berries have a bright green cap which stays green 

 to the end of the season even in dry weather. This is not oversize, but just right 

 to add the proper touch of beauty to the fruit. This added attractiveness makes 

 for a larger selling price. 



6. Quality. The berries are delicious in quality, equaled only by the very 

 best ones like Chesapeake, William Belt and Big Late. 



7. Firmness. Premier berries are firm enough to stand shipment consider- 

 able distances and arrive in good condition. Most of the local Premier however 

 are shipped on trucks running from one to three hundred miles. It is probably 

 true that where berries must be shipped in iced cars for two, three, four days, or 

 even longer, some of the smaller, more solid berries would carry better. In wet 

 seasons it is best to keep Premier picked up closely but if growers get behind with 

 their picking of Premier occasionally in wet seasons most of them seem to remem- 

 ber that they can lose quite a few from over-ripeness or even rotting and still pick 

 from two or three times as many good berries as they can from Klondyke and 

 some of the other "shipping" berries. 



8. Picking. Premier is a fancy early berry which makes it easier for com- 

 mercial growers to get pickers the first of season and keep them for late varieties, 

 than if there were less desirable early berries, or none at all. 



9. Frost-Proof. Premier and Chesapeake seem to be the nearest frost-proof 

 of any varieties grown. Premier because of its very hardiness and persistent 

 blooming and Chesapeake because of the fact that it blooms very late, usually 

 after the frost period is over. Note on page 21 one of our customers reports 

 that his Premier withstood ten frosts in the spring and still came through 

 with a good crop. Generally speaking, you are practically sure of a good crop 

 of fruit regardless of late frosts. In many sections where formerly early berries 

 were not profitable because of late frosts they are now growing Premier for early 

 and finding it even more profitable than their later varieties. 



