MISSOURI 



Clinton Co.. Mo. — Both Fairfax and Dorsett 

 made a vigorous, healthy growth. Dorsett mak- 

 ing- a few more plants than Fairfax. In pro- 

 ductiveness they were equal to any varieties I 

 had, possibly not as great a set of berries as 

 Premier, but averaging larger. Dorsett seemed 

 firmer than Premier, probably firmer than Chesa- 

 peake. Fairfax was firmer than Dorsett. The 

 flavor is superior to other kinds and in general 

 appearance they are the best I have ever grown. 

 We had no late frost, but the most extreme 

 drought ever known here. Fairfax and Dorsett 

 stood the dry weather better than the other 

 varieties I am growing. Under our hot dry con- 

 ditions it was very noticeable that both Fairfax 

 and Dorsett foliage protected the fruit from the 

 burning sun much better than Premier. — Mr. 

 J. H. Baldwin. 



OHIO 



Fairfield Co., Ohio. — The Fairfax and Dorsett 

 plants I bought of you in spring 1933 were grown 

 under the worst weather conditions that Central 

 Ohio has ever experienced. About the 11th of 

 Way the temperature dropped to twelve above 

 zero and killed all the blooms, but Fairfax, like 

 Premier, seemed to put out a lot of bloom and 

 matured a fair crop of berries. Dorsett did not 

 fare so well. Fairfax production was about the 

 same as Premier and the berries resembled 

 Chesapeake in size and appearance. Fairfax is 

 the solidest berry I have even seen and stood 

 the extreme dry weather and heat very well. 

 Those who tried Fairfax said they were worth 

 five cents more per quart than any berry I ever 

 had. Fairfax berries were all so perfect, even 

 to the very last, that I did not see how they 

 could be improved upon. I do not think either 

 Dorsett or Fairfax had a fair show, but for com- 

 parison I will cite the following. From 100 Fair- 

 fax planted we picked 49 quarts of perfect 

 berries. My neighbor, from 1 acre of Aroma 

 picked 170 quarts of poor berries. — Mr. Harry E. 

 Benson. 



MAINE 

 Cumberland Co., Maine. — The Dorsett and 

 Fairfax strawberry plants bought of you last 



year made a healthy and vigorous growth ot 

 plants, more so than the good old Premier 

 planted by the side of them, but I had them on 

 low flat land, and lost about all by water stand- 

 ing over them when snow melted in spring. 

 The few I saved were far superior in flavor to 

 anything that ever I saw, and I have tested 

 about everything that was put on the market in 

 my time. In my opinion you have in no way 

 overrated anything you stated in your catalog 

 concerning them, and I shall plant nothing else 

 for an early berry next spring. — Mr. H. H. Holm. 



ILLINOIS 



"Winnebago Co., 111. — I am sorry I cannot report 

 as to productiveness of Fairfax and Dorsett as 

 owing to the e.xtrenie drought this summer the 

 strawberrj' crop in this district was a complete 

 failure on all varieties. We had no rain through- 

 out the spring and summer until August. How- 

 ever, there was enough matured to give me an 

 insight as to their quality and flavor as v/,-e\\ as 

 size compared to the older varieties and 1 can- 

 not speak too highly of them. We also had an 

 extremely dry season last year and while others 

 who planted the older varieties in the spring of 

 1933 lost nearly all their plantings, my Dorsett 

 and Fairfax came through the summer in a very 

 thrifty condition and produced an abundance of 

 runners. — Mr. Lewis Wood. 



FLORIDA 



Palm Beach Co., Fla. — In this climate Fairfax 

 is O. K. in every respect. It is the heaviest bearer 

 I ever saw. Dorsett is susceptible to root knot 

 but in every other respect is far better than Mis- 

 sionary. The Southland is the healthiest, finest 

 looking plant I ever grew in this section but this 

 season it is very late. Just now coming into 

 bloom. The fruit from a few Southland that 

 bloomed early is far superior to Missionary, be- 

 ing practically free from brown rot, which is 

 very bad with Missionary after a rain. How- 

 ever, the same freedom from rot applied to Dor- 

 sett and Fairfax. Brown rot causes most of our 

 loss with Missionary, also Blakemore. I think 

 the Fairfax and Southland are going to be the 

 coming berries for me personally for local 

 market. — Mr. B. G. Ball. 



The Biggest Mistake 



Fairfax and Dorsett were beyond (luestion eiiual to Premier in productiveness and far supe- 

 rior in the other respei-ts in 1931, 1932, 1933 and in former years. This was true in all sections 

 where they were being grown in those years. However, it was not to be expected that they would 

 be so far superior to all others in every locality and under all conditions. No variety has ever 

 been best everywhere every year. 



In all frankness we state that in 1934 under some conditions Fairfax and Dorsett were not 

 equal to Premier in yield. Under other conditions, usually not favorable, Fair- 

 fax and Dorsett were not up to previous performances, but still better from a 

 profit standpoint than Premier. And in addition we have many reports from 

 nearly all the "Premier" states enilorsing Fairfax or Dorsett or l)oth en- 

 thusiastically. 



Now this is our ,")Oth year in growing and selling strawberry plants. We 

 have been at it too long to start now advising growers to plant certain varieties 

 against what we believe to be their own best interests. With this in mind we 

 state now in all sincerity that we believe the biggest mistake a strawberry grower 

 could make would be to fail to try out Fairfax and Dorsett, or to give them fur- 

 ther trial if their 1934 experience with them was not up to expectations. Fairfax 

 and Dorsett have been too fine in previous years and in many places this year to 

 justify strawberry growers anywhere in letting one season of abnormal weather 

 conditions deprive them of the benefits of the "Best new varieties in years." If 

 results another year indicate that we are wrong in our belief we will say so 

 frankly — but our faith in Fairfax and Dorsett is such that we will plant no other 

 early variety in our own fruiting fields. 



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