PREMIER 



Fremier was introduced in 1915. Except in the South and far West, Premier swept the 

 country faster than any other variety ever did. It practically replaced all other early berries in a 

 remarkably short time. It has given more general satisfaction and has been a better money maker 

 over a wide territory than any other variety ever introduced. For home garden, local market, or 

 for shipping moderate distances it has outclassed them all. We have boosted Premier enthusias- 

 tically and the results have justified our enthusiasm. Premier is just as good a berry as ever. How- 

 ever, where they have been tried, Dorsett and Fairfax outclass Premier as berries for the home gar- 

 den, local market and for shipping, just as completely as Premier outclassed the others when it was 

 first introduced. We believe they will maintain this superiority over most of the territory where 

 Premier has been so good. Letters published on page 21 indicate that this will be true. If we 

 were positive of this one fact, we would say without hesitation, never set another Premier plant. 

 However, Premier has been so good in some sections where Dorsett and Fairfax have never been 

 tried that it may be safer not to change over entirely until Dorsett and Fairfax have been tried. 



Vigor and Health of Plant Growth 



Premier not only does well over a wide range 

 of territory, but produces a vigorous, healthy 

 plant growth on nearly all soil types. In freedom 

 from disease, Premier ranks with the best. It is 

 slightly less vigorous than Dorsett and Fairfax 

 and does not stand up quite as well as they do 

 through the fruiting season. However, there is 

 little fault to find with Premier in this respect. 



Productiveness 



Premier plants are amazingly productive, rip- 

 ening early and bearing through a long season. 

 For years no variety has yielded more quarts per 

 acre. Recently, however, Dorsett and Fairfax 

 have out-yielded it under some conditions. 



Size 



Under good conditions, Premier will produce a 

 tremendous crop of berries of good average size. 

 No variety, except possibly Aberdeen, which sets 

 as many berries, will size them up as well. So 

 many are set, however, that the plants cannot 

 possibly size up properly the last end of the crop, 

 especially in dry seasons. 



Color and Appearance 



Premier berries are a medium red in color, get- 

 ting quite dark as they get riper. They have a 

 medium size green cap which generally stays 

 green throughout the season. They are very 

 handsome in appearance, and show up well in 

 the package. 



Firmness 



Premier berries are moderately firm. They 

 will hold up for local market and for shipping 

 considerable distances. They are not as firm as 

 Klondyke, Missionary and Blakemore, the long- 

 distance southern shipping kinds. Neither are 

 they as firm as Dorsett and Fairfax. Buyers 

 have said they carry poorly under refrigeration. 

 Shipped bv truck over night or for shorter dis- 

 tances they have carried very satisfactorily, ex- 

 cept in very wet seasons. 



Quality 



Compared with older varieties, they rank well 

 up in quality, varieties like Big Late, Chesapeake 

 and William Belt being only slightly better. Of- 

 course, Dorsett and Fairfax outrank them all in 

 this respect. 



Resistance to Frost Injury 



Here is one factor in which Premier still stands 

 supreme. No indications of a reduction in the 

 crop of Dorsett and Fairfax due to frost injury 

 has been noted during the few years they have 

 been grown. However, they have not proved 

 themselves in this respect over a long period of 

 years. We have never known, under the most 

 adverse conditions of weather, where sufficient 

 numbers of Premier blooms were killed to ruin 

 or materially reduce the crop of Premier. Here's 

 hoping the Dorsett and Fairfax equal the record 

 of their parent, Premier, in this respect. 



Many growers have made fine crops and large 

 profits growing Premier. It has proved itself for 

 many years and in many places. We have a fine 

 stock of good Premier plants awaiting your 

 orders. Price list, page 35. 



22 



