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



CHESAPEAKE.-This new berry 

 has now been 

 fruited to some extent in almost all 

 sections of the country, and there are 

 so many good things said about it that 

 it is difficult to decide which to print in 

 the limited space in which it must be 

 described. In my 1003 catalogue I 

 offered $100.00 for the best dozen plants 

 of any unintroduced variety sent me. 

 The Chesapeake won the prize. It was 

 originated by John W. Parks. Wicomico 

 county. Maryland. It is a chance seed- 

 ling and its parentage is not known. In the test plot 

 where over a hundred varieties were competing for this 

 prize it was so far in advance of all the rest that any 

 child could have easily nicked out the Chesapeake as 

 the winner. I describe the variety as follows: Plants 

 large and vigorous, no rust, and no weakness of any 

 kind. The foliage is thick and leathery, upright leaf 

 stems with the leaves almost round. The fruit is borne 

 on large stems, the great proportion of which stand 

 up. holding the fruit from the ground. The Chesa- 

 peake bears more fruit on single stems than anv 

 variety I know of. The blossoms are perfect ; the 

 fruit is uniformly large, averaging even larger than 

 Gandy, and as compared with Gandy it is more pro- 

 ductive, firmer and better quality, without the green 

 tips which are often found in the Gandy. The Chesa- 

 peake colors all over at once. The flavor of this berrv 

 ranks with William Belt. Brunette and others of that 

 class. Perhaps the strongest arguments that I could 



put up to prove my good opinion of the variety is the 

 fact thai I am planting this almost exclusively for 

 fruit in preference to all other varieties. Time of rip- 

 ening about the same as Gandy. I use the Gandy for 

 comparison because it is so universally known. Like all 

 other strawberries to 1„. at its hert it should be planted 

 on rich, springy land, but does remarkably well on 

 any land that will grow strawberries of any kind. The 

 Chesapeake is the easiest variety to pick of any that 

 I know of, and pickers can pick more of this than of 

 anv vati"ty that 1 have handled, and where pickers are 

 scarce this is a great advantage. 



A few weeks ago I sent out several hundred letters 

 al over the country to parties who had bought plants 

 of me two years ago. I asked them to describe the 

 varieties that they had purchased of me, giving a true 

 account, whether good or bad. and in almost every 

 instance those who purchased Chesapeake speak in the 

 highest terms of it. To show the wide range of coun- 

 try over which it has proved a success, I will quote 

 from some of these letters. George M. Pontius, of 

 Pickaway Co.. Ohio, says : "The Chesapeake is the best 

 all-around berry I ever raised. It is the best late 

 berry of large size and fine quality." Phillip G. 

 Scarff. of Ilarfoi •," Co., Md.. says: "Chesapeake is not 

 only the best I had. but the best I ever saw" Louis 

 Lucas, of Allegheny Co.. Pa., says : "Chesapeake are 

 tine." C. W. Patterson, of San Bernardino Co., Cal., 

 says : "Chesapeake justifies your claims." S. K. Gar- 

 rison, of Albemarle Co.. Va.. says : "I like the Chesa- 

 peake fine." G. W. Miller, of Garfield Co.. in the far- 

 off northwestern State of Washington, says : "Chesa- 

 peake has many good qualities: for flavor they are 

 dandies : good bearers and Iar;re berries. I am going 

 to run all my planting into Chesapeake and William 

 Belt. They stood the drought best of all." W. P. 

 Crocket!, of Craven Co.. N. C. savs : "Your Chesapeake 

 are all < ). K." I!. McFadden, of Licking Co.. Ohio, 

 says: "The Chesapeake is all that you claim for it. 

 It should have been named World-Beater. I sold every 

 bushel of my Chesapeake berries at $4.00. I will want 

 5.000 Chesapeake p'ants next spring." John II. Prin- 

 ter. McDonnugh School, Baltimore Co.. Md., says: "We 

 bought 1.000 Chesapeake plants and they surpassed 

 everything I have ever seen in strawberry culture, 

 notwithstanding the fact that they srrew under great 

 disadvantage. Under favorable conditions I am sure 

 they are one of the most wonderful berries grown." 

 John Ilargett. of Butler Co.. Ohio, says: "The Chesa- 

 peake were wonderful. The people in my home mar- 



