OF CHOICE STRAWBERRY PLANTS. 
WM. BELT— This variety was originated in southern Ohio some eight years 
ago by the late Wm. Bolt. Six years ago he sent it to Mr. M. Crawford on trial, 
claiming that it was larger than the Bubach, twice as productive, and of better 
quality. After testing it on light and heavy soils, and in both hills and matted 
rows, Mr Crawford was of the opinion that it was the most desirable variety 
that he had ever grown, and offered it to the American people with the greatest 
confidence. It ha 6 been tested at a number of experiment stations and has 
made a good record. 
Mr. Crawford says: ' The plant is very large, a most luxuriant grower, and 
remarkably productive. At the end of last year's drouth, early in November, it 
was not surpassed lor green, healthy appearance by any of over oue hundred va- 
rieties on my place. Its blossoms are perfect, and it seems that each one is fol- 
lowed by a berry. It is medium in ripening — neither very early nor very late. 
Its size is very large indeed. No other variety ever gave me so many immense 
berries. In pic-king twelve quarts from a matted row with good common cul- 
ture, I selected thirty seven that filled three quart baskets, and the other nine 
were all large. I have seea eight-inch berries on spring set plants within ten 
w r eeks of planting. In lorm it is conical, rather long and qnite uniform in 
shape, except that the first berry on a fruit stalk is sometimes mis-shaperi, es- 
pecially with high culture. The color is a brilliant, glossy red, as near perfec- 
tion as ever seen in a berry. It ripens all over without green tips. The qualitv 
is good— better than is usually fouud in luge berries. " 
As grown by myself the Win. Belt his proved itself to be a valuable berry. 
It is a good grower and makes a medium quantity of strong, healthy plants 
that are usually heavy looted. The berries are as large, with some specimens 
larger, than the Bubi-ch. I don't think it is twice as productive as Bubach, nor 
do I think it would be desirable for it to be, as in that case it would not be able 
to mature its immense load. It is about as productive as Bubach, and with 
half a sho-v seems to mature every berry. It is more perfect in shape and far 
better in quality and a better groA-er than Bubach. Its color is perfect. The 
accompanying illustration was made from a photograph of a quart of berries 
picked by myself last June, from plants set during the last week of last March. 
Some of the berries weighed one ounce each. It shows some rust but it does 
not seem to affect the crop. 
BOUNCER— "This is the big fellow offered without name in our catalogue 
last season. Our Customers made many suggestions as to the best fitting name 
for the largest strawberry known. A committee of horticultural editors select- 
ed the name "Bouncer, 15 and we paid $50 in gold to our customer, A. J. Allen 
of Allen, Md.. who suggested the name. This berry is a seedling of Jersey 
Queen, pollenized by Miner, posessing in a marked degree the finer points of 
both parents, but has a more vigorous plant, producing more and larger berries 
than either. The plant is a perfect bloomer and has the strong, robust habit of 
Parker Earle; while making runners more freely than that variety, it is only a 
moderate plant-maker, so that there is no over-crowding; hence every plant has 
a chance to do its best, which is one secret of the variety's great productiveness 
Berries of extra-large size and of Miner type, both in form and color; flesh a 
deep red all through, and of spicy, rich flavor. For big berries and lots of them 
plant Bouncer." — G. H. & J. H Hale, introducers. 
With me the Bouncer is a good grower. It makes very large, vio-orou«s 
plants. The fruit is large and good quality, but very badly shaped, bein» rid 
ged and crinkled in such a manner as to make it unattractive. It is also "sadly 
deficient in productiveness here. 
