1883.] 



14S 



THE NEWER STRAWBERRIES. 



On our grounds in the vicinity of New 

 York, on rather heavy clay soil, the Straw- 

 berry crop was very good, and most of the 

 new varieties proved satisfactory. 



Manchester improves by longer acquaint- 

 ance. With us the plant is very vigorous, 

 foliage healthy ; the berries are larger, 

 lighter colored, and of better quality than 

 those grown in the Jersey sands. 



James Tick has been grown in a trial bed 

 together with Captain Jack. The two kinds are 

 not identical. Although 

 they resemble each 

 other in general ap- 

 pearance, the James 

 Vick is decidedly the 

 best of the two : its 

 foliage is larger and 

 more vigorous ; its ber- 

 ries are larger, very 

 firm, of more sprightly 

 flavor and generally 

 better quality, and are 

 borne on longer, stiffer, 

 upright fruit - stalks, 

 not hugging the ground 

 like Captain Jack. How 

 a Strawberry plant can 

 be more productive 

 than the James Vick is 

 not easily imaginable. 



Jersey Queen made 

 but a poor growth. 



Sharpless, although 

 of indifferent quality 

 and not ripening well at 

 the tips, has in its favor 

 largest berries, very 

 large, healthy foliage 

 and, under favorable 

 conditions, great pro- 

 ductiveness. 



Bidwell has been very 

 satisfactory for home 

 use, producing a large 

 crop of good-sized, 

 well-shaped, and good- 

 flavored berries. Both 

 in hills and matted 

 beds, the pknts win- 

 tered remarkably well 

 during the last two 

 winters, without pro- 

 tection. 



PRINCE OF BERRIES. 



The accompanying 

 illustration conveys a 

 good idea of this new 

 claimant for popular- 

 ity. Mr. E. W. Durand, 

 its originator, who has 

 probably raised more 



seedling Strawberries than any other living 

 man, considers it the best of all the thousands 

 of new varieties produced by him. It has, so 

 far, not been grown outside of the originator's 

 ground ; we can, therefore, not speak about 

 its merits from personal observation, and 

 give Mr. Durand's description : 



"Superior to any berry known in flavor 

 or quality, brilliant and beautiful in color, 

 abundant in bearing, large size, texture ex- 

 ceedingly fine and melting, no hard or unripe 

 spots or tips, coloring evenly and perfectly, 

 unsurpassed as a carrier and keeper, invari- 

 ably perfecting its large crop of fruit, de- 



sirable in form, perfect in blossom, never 

 scalds either in foliage or fruit, remains a 

 long time on the vine without injury, a 

 vigorous and luxuriant grower, a superb 

 plant, and a reliable fertilizer for all late 

 pistillate varieties, the very best as an ac- 

 companiment to the Jersey Queen, possess- 

 ing such determined, hardy qualities as will 

 undoubtedly make it a success in all sections 

 under the variations of soil, climate, etc., etc. 

 The Prince of Berries, being one of the very 

 latest, generally escapes the late frost, so 



When to bag. — The only safe rule is to apply 

 the bag as soon as the cluster is formed. 

 If delayed too long, the spore of disease may 

 have attached itself to the berry and result 

 in rot. Some have applied the bag before 

 blossoming has taken place. As the new 

 shoot is very tender and brittle, great care 

 must be exercised not to break it. 



Hate to bag. — Take manilla or any other 

 paper bags ; cut off the upper corners, in 

 order to wrap the upper portion around the 

 cane ; place the cluster inside the bag, wrap 

 the bag around the 

 cane, and then pin it. 



Size of bag. — This de- 

 pends upon the usual 

 length of the cluster, 

 and whether more than 

 one cluster is placed in 

 a bag. A two or three 

 pound bag is sufficient 

 for most single clus- 



liesults of bagging.— 

 The cluster will aver- 

 age larger, ripen later, 

 color in general better, 

 produce larger berries, 

 and the bloom will be 

 preserved more per- 

 fect than in those not 

 bagged. As to flavor, 

 opinions vary. Some 

 think it is better, 

 others that it is not im- 

 proved. 



Bagging an <t preven- 

 tion of rot— It applied 

 early enough, it is a 

 prevention. Rot is 



th 



the 



-ski 



splitting of th, 

 Many of the 

 varieties split badly in 

 the bags. The Elvira, 

 which, out of bags, 

 splits so badly as to be 

 comparatively worth- 

 less, owing to the 

 crowding of the berry 



PRINCE OF BERRIES STRAWBERRY. 



fatal to the early varieties, affording prot< 

 tion by its heavy, stocky foliage." 



BAGGIN& GRAPES. 



Within a few years, the bagging of Grapes 

 has occupied the attention of many horticult- 

 j urists. One who has given much attention 

 I to this subject, says : "If the application be 

 I made in time, the paper-bag will preserve 

 I the cluster in more exquisite perfection than 

 can be secured in any other way. The 

 Grapes come forth luscious and beautiful 

 i enough to amaze Nature herself." 



The Duchess keeps 

 its color when bagged ; 

 Delaware, as a general 

 rule, becomes deeper ; 

 Brighton lighter in col- 

 or, Niagara improves in 

 color and flavor. 



The present summer 

 many will bag Grapes 

 by way of experiment. It is doubtful if bag- 

 ging will become general in vineyard culture, 

 as the extra expense incurred thereby is not 

 made up in the sale of the fruit. To the 

 ordinary purchaser of Grapes in the market, 

 fine clusters, large berries, pure color, and 

 bloom, and exqirisite flavor arc secondary 

 considerations. To the amateur, or those 

 who enjoy to sit under the shade of their own 

 vines, however, these qualities are precious ; 

 and, as the experiment with a few bunches 

 requires but little time and expense, it is well 

 worth a trial of those who grow Grapes for 

 their own use. J. B. Rogers. 



