PJ£ Is considered by most of those who have eaten it to be better in quality than 

 I 3ll IdX Premier, Big Joe, Chesapeake, William Belt, Beauty and Big Late. Better than 

 any of those varieties which have been considered at the very peak in quality. Fairfax is being 

 introduced by the U. S. Department of Agriculture this year for the first time. Although its 

 parentage is uncertain, it is probably a cross of Royal Sovereign x Howard 17 (Premier). 

 It has been tested in their trial plots near Washington (U. S. Dept. of Agr. seedling No. 613) 

 and in other places for several years. We have seen it on our own place, and especially in our 

 comparative trial plot (See page 10) and in New Jersey. We were very much impressed with 

 both Fairfax and Dorsett. Those strawberry growers who are continually looking for some- 

 thing better and who follow closely catalogues of different plant growers, will know that we have 

 refrained from offering and boosting new variety after new variety as many have done. Not 

 since Premier was first introduced have we found a variety that we felt we could really get 

 behind and boost. Now we have both Fairfax and Dorsett. These varieties, we feel are out- 

 standing and are destined to become very popular, and very widely known. The most outstand- 

 ing characteristic of the Fairfax is the quality, but it compares so favorably in other ways with 

 "the best of the rest" that we want to discuss its merits in detail. 



Quality. As we have indicated, no berry 

 (except Dorsett) which it has been our pleas- 

 ure to test, can equal Fairfax in quality. It 

 probably takes this outstanding quality from 

 the Royal Sovereign parentage, which has been 

 famous for years in England as a berry "fit 

 for a king." It is impossible to describe it. To 

 be appreciated it must be eaten. Read what 

 we say on page 12 about how to get a taste of 

 Fairfax this year. 



Vigor and Health of Foliage. As we have 

 pointed out in other places in this berry book, 

 to make a satisfactory crop of berries a vari- 

 ety must have healthy foliage, and must main- 

 tain its health and vigor throughout the fruit- 

 ing season. We have never seen a healthier 

 growing plant nor plants that would maintain 

 this vigor better than these new berries, Fair- 

 fax and Dorsett. In this respect they are fully 

 as good as Premier and Blakemore, having a 

 dark green, almost black, foliage which seems 

 to almost radiate vigor. One would know that 

 foliage of this kind could make and mature a 

 bumper crop of fine berries. 



Productiveness. In our trial plot this year, 

 under near-drought conditions our best plot of 

 Premier out of four picked at the rate of 4,520 

 quarts per acre. Our one plot of Fairfax 

 picked at the rate of 5,120 quarts per acre. Of 

 this yield under "these conditions 90 per cent of 

 the Fairfax berries rated good to fancy, and 

 10 per cent poor to fair, while of the Premier 

 76 per cent rated good to fancy and 24 per cent 

 rated poor to fair. We want to emphasize the 

 fact not only of the total production of ber- 

 ries, but of the production of good berries, 

 which, after all, are the only ones which we 

 can usually sell at a profit. 



Resistance to Frost Damage. Although 

 Fairfax has been fruiting since 1925 or 1926, 

 and although it begins blooming early, no 

 appreciable frost damage has been noted dur- 

 ing that period. 



Size of Berries. Berries of Fairfax average 

 very large, perhaps slightly larger than the 

 Dorsett. They average larger in size than 

 Premier and are considerably larger than 

 Blakemore under similar conditions. They are 

 fully as large as that Aristocrat of all late 

 varieties, the Chesapeake. In fact, when the 

 berries first mature they resemble the Chesa- 

 peake very much in size and appearance, and 

 one could easily mistake the identity if Chesa- 

 peake berries were ripe at the same time. 



Firmness of Berries. Fairfax berries are 

 very firm. They are equal or superior in firm- 

 ness to Blakemore, Bellmar, Klondyke, Chesa- 

 peake, Gandy and others noted for years as 

 shipping berries. One thing we like esepcially 

 about the Fairfax is that you have to bite it. 

 It is so firm that it offers a pleasing resistance 

 when eaten. 



Color and Appearance. Fairfax berries 

 picked at the proper time are a bright red with 

 a light green cap and prominent yellow seeds 

 which makes them very attractive. However, 

 as they become riper they get to be dark and 

 then very dark red. The berries maintain their 

 firmness and flavor even after they become 

 very dark. While this dark color would be no 

 objection and may even be an advantage in the 

 home garden it will probably work against 

 Fairfax as a shipping berry unless the idea of 

 its extra fine flavor and keeping quality can 

 be carried through to the ultimate consumer. 

 If it can be, an increase in consumption and a 

 flood of repeat orders would be inevitable. 



Fairfax should be tested in every home garden and commercial planting. A test of 100 plants 

 is recommended. We believe in Fairfax so thoroughly that we will refund the price of this 

 quantity of plants if you are not more than satisfied with its quality. On account of the small 

 quantity of plants available this year each customer will be limited to 500 plants of Fairfax. 

 Even with this limitation, our supply is likely to run short before the season ends. Order early 

 and we will reserve yours for you. Price list, page 31. 



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