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BUDS, BLOSSOMS, FRUITS. 



Progress in Strawberry-Growing. — (Page 540). I 

 find, among the few new varieties that I have fruited this 

 year, the Beder Wood to be as early as Michel Early, 

 and much more prolific. The first berries are larger, 

 and foliage slightly affected with rust. It is the best 

 early berry I know of. Parker Earle is a complete 

 failure on my clay soil ; foliage rusts badly and berries 

 never mature. Yale and Saunders rust, and show no 

 valuable points with me. Bubach 132 is unproductive. 

 Stayman No. 2 is one of the best family berries I ever 

 grew. It has healthy foliage, is very prolific of medium 

 sized berries. It is very sour when it first colors, but is 

 capable of resisting the effects of continued rains, and 

 when fully ripe is the best we had out of ten varieties. It 

 has a neck, and the calyx adheres very firmly to the stem, 

 which makes it possible to hull the berries at the time 

 they are picked, which is appreciated very much by the 

 housewife. Gandy proved itself to be a good late berry 

 of large size and excellent quality when fully ripe. If it 

 were only more productive it would be one of the best 

 for home use and market. On clay loam, and for a near 

 market, I would recommend the following ; Beder Wood, 

 Haverland, Bubach, Eureka, Staymen No. 2, and Gandy. 

 By keeping Eureka and Gandy well mulched, they can 

 be kept back so as to come in about the time Beder 

 Wood and Haverland are gone. — E. 



H. CUSHMAN, Ohio. 



Double Gladiolus. — Some time 

 ago, in your notes on gladiolus (page 

 672 of Nov., 1891), you gave a cut of 

 a double gladiolus (California, one of 

 my seedlings). Since then I have 

 noticed that you do not seem to be 

 favorably inclined towards them. I 

 now send you a photograph of a newer 

 double seedling, and I think that you 

 will agree with me that the form and 

 general appearance is pleasing. The 

 coloring is certainly unusually fine, 

 being a rich salmon-scarlet, striped 

 white with lighter throat. The plants 

 of this new variety have the same 

 sturdy growth as the one named 

 California, growing with perfect uni- 

 formity about zVz feet high, the 

 blossoms in all cases being more or 

 less double on every spike. Each 

 spike has flowers on every side just 

 the same as a hyacinth, and i to 4 

 side shoots from the main stalk are 

 sent out before the first spike is out 

 of bloom, the plants appearing like 

 shortened pampas plumes in form. — Luther Burbank. 



Progressive Strawberry Growing. — (Page 540). It 

 is astonishing how few of the highly-lauded kinds seem 

 really to stand the test of cultivation in the ordinary way. 

 It must be that under some peculiar circumstances and 

 especial petting the good results are obtained which their 

 introducers claim for them, and, when they are subjected 



to the ordinary field treatment, many of them prove in- 

 ferior to varieties already under cultivation. I do not 

 feel prepared to condemn any of these newer kinds with- 

 out further testing, but I may speak of several which 

 have given me good satisfaction, and which I have chosen 

 out of the testing plat for planting out on a larger scale. 

 Bubach averages quite large and is fairly productive. It 

 is not very firm, but stands the drouth well and brings a 

 good price in market. Williams appears to be a hardy 

 and productive kind. The berries are all of a large size 

 and the quality is good. This strawberry, a cross between 

 Crescent and Sharpless, originated in Ontario, some- 

 where near Brantford. Mr. Williams, after whom the 

 berry was named, states that he gathered off 1% acres, 

 3,700 quarts of berries. When the size of the berries is 

 considered, this is a large crop ; Sharpless won't compare 

 with it. In the vicinity of Brantford, where this berry 

 has been grown, the strawberry-growers plant more 

 largely of it than of any other kind. Saunders is another 

 of the good varieties. It was originated by Mr. John 

 Little, of Granton, Ontario, and was named by him after 

 the director of the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa. 

 This variety compares favorably with the Bubach in size 

 and fruitfulness. The fruit is large, conical, slightly 

 flattened, with several depressions ; color deep red, 



Double Gladiolus. (Seedling by Luther Burbank.) 



glossy ; flesh the same ; flavor sprightly and agreeable, 

 in this respect excelling the Bubach ; perfect blossom. 

 In this last year I find that I could pick fruit of fair size 

 from it after most other varieties were done. The Wool- 

 verton is another of Mr. Little's seedlings, and he has 

 complimented me by giving it my name. I visited Mr. 

 Little lately, and felt that it was a real compliment he 



