DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF CHOICE STRAWBERRY PLANTS. 11 



continued picking it up to almost the last; neither rotted or failed in any way when 

 properly fertilized. It is a large, bright berry that ships and sells well, and line in 

 quality. We have not yet heard an unfavorable report from it. 



Hlchel's Early.— Reports after another Beaton's fruiting. After another sea- 

 son's fruiting at The Peninsula Plant and Truck Farm, 

 I am convinced that Michel's Early is tli • beet early 



berry we have. All who have seen it in fruit on my 

 place were convinced that it is. without doubt, the best 

 early berry in general cultivation. 



W. F. Allen. Jr. 

 Others Speak of it as Follow 

 Salisbury. Md ., Aug. 1, 1891.— W. F. Allen. Jr.. 

 Dear Sir: With regard to Michel's Early strawberry. I 

 would say that I like it very much. The 500 plants I 

 got from you. although set late in the spring of '90, bore 

 well this season. They were the earliest to ripen and the 

 most prolific bearers of all the varieties I had in cultivation except one. even beating 

 the Crescent. I had no complaints as to its carrying qualities, although my berries 

 when shipped were full ripe. The berries are a beautiful light pink and are very at- 

 tractive in appearance and command good prices. I shall set largely of it. as the 

 only objection I can conceive to it is its early blossoming. Blooming, as it does, 

 with the Wi'son. it is the berry to use in fruiting pistillate varieties, being a strong 

 bearer of perfect flowers. Yours, Geo. W. Bell. 



W. K. Ttpton. secretary Arkansas State Horticultural Society, speaks of it as 

 follows: "'Of the new strawberries tested by us, the Michel's Early is the most im- 

 portant. In our grounds this new variety is first to ripen and much more produc- 

 tive than any of the very early varieties we have tested. It is of medium size, good 

 quality, firm, an excellent shipper, a strong grower, roots deeply and stands drought 

 remarkably well. We regard it as a valuable kind for market or home us 

 have fruited it two seasons on bottom lands and uplands. It succeeds well here on 

 all soils where grown." 



P. K. Berckmans, president American Pomological Society, writes of it: :"Size 

 medium; shape, regular; color, dark red; flesh, firm: flavor, subacid and perfumed, 

 quality, good to very good: productive, very prolific: season, very early: foliage, 

 health v, and a free grower: merits, extreme earhness, colors evenly and stands ship- 

 ping well. Have cultivated this variety two years.'' 



J. T. Lovett, of Little Silver. X. J., speaks of it in the Rural New York r as 

 follows: ••Michel's Early is the earliest: ripens its entire crop the earliest of any va- 

 riety 1 have yet fruited, and the berries are of fair size." 



A. J. Allen, of Allen, Md.. writes: "In regards to the Michel's Early Btraw- 

 berry, will say that I think it is a No. 1 variety, an extra good grower, in aking solid 

 beds on land where many other varieties would tail to grow; and as to their tirn 

 I have no tank to find, as I have shipped them to New York and : every day 



during their season, and never had a single complaint, but invariably received fair 

 prices conij .arc, 1 with other stork. One great peculiarity about them is they hold up 

 in size the heel of any variety I know of. and, if -row era will only keep them picked 

 up clean, they will have no trouble with the Michel's Early." 



N. B. — Mr. A. J. Allen has been an extensive berry grower for twenty yean and 

 has tested most of tie new varieties. With this experience he is able to know a g 



Variety when he see- it. 



