W. F. Allen's Plant and Seed Catalogue, Salisbury, Md. 



CARDINAL.- After growing this variety another 

 season my observation confirms mv 

 previous good opinion of the Cardinal. K is very vigorous 

 and productive and exceptionally arm and handsome. It 

 is strictly a business berry; the quality is not tine, but 

 it looks so well, yields so well and sells so well and so 

 easy grown, it is one of the most profitable varieties 

 to grow. The berries average large and are bluntly 

 conical with a bright green cap that holds up remark- 

 ably after shipping. It possesses the solidity of the 

 old Wilson, united with the vigor of plant, prolific 

 yield and brightness of color of the famous Crescent. 

 while the berries are larger, much larger, than either 

 of them. Season from medium to quite late. Une 

 grower remarked that it gets right down to business at 

 once and keeps at it all the lime. A New York custo- 

 mer says: "The Cardinal is a valuable berry here, 

 good color and productive. The plants are hardy and 

 vigorous, and I like it." Another customer in Ohio 

 writes: "Good in plant growth and of wonderful yield. 

 Altogether we consider this a very valuable berry." 



DICKIE.— This is a Yankee variety, being origi- 

 nated by Mr. J. D. Cowing, of Massa- 

 chusetts, who originated the Sample. Mr. Gowing 

 considers the Dickie a very fancy berry, and says that 

 it sold for more than the Sample in the Boston market 

 out of the same field. Mr. Gowing has been a straw- 

 berry grower for 40 years and has grown many straw- 

 berries, but says he has seen nothing finer in the berry 

 line in his life. Last year it commenced to ripen in 

 Massachusetts the middle of .Tune and continued to 

 July ISth. Mr. Gowing is very enthusiastic over this 

 berry, but it remains to be seen whether or not it 

 gives the satisfaction the Sample has generally done. 

 My impression is that it will not, although it is an 

 ■excellent berry, making exceedingly large, strong and 

 vigorous plants. The eating quality is excellent and 

 the berries are very large; it' is also very productive, 

 and Mr. Piatt, who introduced this berry last spring, 

 gave this invitation : "Come and see the Dickie fruit- 

 ing next summer on Mr. Gowing's farm : it will pay 

 you, even if you have to come all the way on snow- 

 shoes." It is indeed a fine growing variety, and I 

 think most growers will be pleased with it, especially 

 those who grow for home use or local market. 



GOLDEN GATE.— This variety was produced by 

 Mr. S. II. Warren, of Massa- 

 chusetts, who is one of the oldest and most experienced 

 growers in New England. Ha is a good judge of 

 strawberries, and was largely instrumental in bringing 

 the Marshall before the public The Goldejp Gate Is a 

 strong grower with numerous plants and luxuriant 

 foliage. It has a strong, staminate blossom with lots 

 of pollen, which producps strictly fancy, large fnvt, 

 clear to the end of the season. It has a rich, crimson 

 color with no green tips : it blossoms early and late, 

 making it a ?ood pollenizer for pistillate varieties. It 

 was awarded first prize at the Massachusetts Horti- 

 cultural Society in 1004. and was highly praised by all 

 who saw it. The judges pronounced the quality much 

 like Marshall. In .Tune. 1006, this variety won' $23.00 

 in prizes on seven quarts before the same Society, and 

 Mr. Warren sold over $75.00 worth of plants in five 



X 



minutes after the premium cards had been placed on 

 the baskets. In one instance seven berries filled a 

 quart, and lots of them had only ten in a quart. Sea- 

 son early to late. It is a good plant and one that I 

 predict to give general satisfaction. 



V 



* KIND WORDS OF APPRECIATION" FROM 



T OCR CUSTOMERS. 



$ Or unsolicited testimonials. It does not matter 

 £ which you call them. I like to get them. I like 

 to read them, and like to have others read them. 

 I never ask for them, hut try hard to merit all 

 the good things they say about my plants and 

 my business methods. I print them because 

 they are too good to hide or to fill the waste 

 basket. 1 would like to print them all, but the 

 book is not big enough. 



Do I get any kicks? Well, I guess so. Had 

 one yesterday from a party in Florida who tele- 

 graphed his order. He got his plants all right 

 and they were fine, but he bids me farewell and 

 says I am not a gentleman because I refused to 

 pay $l.fi0 for his telegram he sent collect, when 

 it had just as well come by mail. A doctor in 

 Delaware gets hot under the collar. He bought 

 Dewberry plants last spring: asked me to wait 

 on him until August. Knowing him to be worth 

 from $15,000 to $20,000, I consented. He got 

 his plants in good conditon — he wrote and said 

 so. His tenants neglected the plants and let 

 them die. now he blames me. Plants still un- 

 paid for (for some unaccountable reason (?) 

 plants bought on credit are very stubborn about 

 growing for some people— too bad!). A rail- 

 road agent in Pennsylvania ordered $2.00 worth 

 of plants to be shipped this fall. After the 

 plants are shipped I received notice from him to 

 hold his order and ship next spring. Well, 

 could I? He thinks so, and writes four pages of 

 foolscap paper to tell me I am a liar. Reading 

 this kind of correspondence is not as pleasant 

 as getting a lettpr from your best girl, but when 

 your conscience is clear and you get about a 

 hundred really appreciative letters like those 

 printed in this catalogue, it makes life worth 

 living after all. My experience is that a large 

 majority of my customers are honest, square peo- 

 ple and it is a real pleasure to do business with 

 them, and it does not lessen the pleasure any to 

 read and publish all I can of their letters ot 

 appreciation or testimonials. 



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