THE WILSON STRAWBERRY. 



519 



From J. H. Hale, So. Glastonhuiy, Conn. — "My first 

 ventpre in strawberry culture was more than twenty- 

 five years ago with Wilson's Albany, Hovey Seedling, 

 and two or three others, and ever since that time I 

 have been growing the Wilson, and have tested every 

 other variety that has been offered for sale, besides 

 many seedlings of my own and a great number of 

 others sent here for trial. We have berries more nearly 

 perfect in plant growth, more productive varieties. 



(See page 521.) 



larger berries, better colored berries, berries that suit 

 the masses better to eat, yet none quite equal to the 

 Wilson in shipping and keeping qualities. For fifteen 

 or twenty years past I have been fruiting from 10 to 25 

 acres of strawberries annually, and each year tested 

 from 50 to 150 varieties, and thus far I have failed to 

 find a berry that combines so many good qualities as 

 did the Wilson in its best days — vigorous, hardy plant. 



strong staminate bloom, early ripening, great produc- 

 tions, good size and form of fruit, great firmness, rich, 

 dark color and good quality. (On this latter point I 

 know many will be inclined to differ with me; yet I 

 know of no berry now growing that has such a rich 

 sprightly flavor as a fully ripened Wilson.) 



' ' Within the past three years I have visited during the 

 strawberry season twenty states of the Union, and have 

 been on the farms of some of the most successful culti- 

 vators of the strawberry in each state, and in not a 

 single instance have I found the Wilson coming up to 

 its old standard, or proving as reliable or as profitable 

 as some other varieties. J. M. Smith, of Wisconsin, 

 and Dr. McKay, of Mississippi, are the only parties in 

 the United States that I know of who are able to make 

 much of a success with it of late years, and still from 

 all over the country we have a heavy demand for the 

 plants each year, and other growers of small fruit 

 plants tell me that they sell many Wilson plants annu- 

 ally ; yet the show of fruit in many of our leading 

 markets for the past five years does not indicate that 

 these plants ever produce much marketable fruit. 



' ' I recently addressed a letter to a hundred or more of 

 our customers in different parts of the country who had 

 bought Wilson plants of us during the past year or two 

 asking why they had planted this variety. Over 70 per 

 cent, replied in substance that they had better and more 

 profitable varieties, and 'only used the Wilson because 

 it bloomed so early and so furnished pollen to fertilize 

 the blossoms of their early imperfect flowering va- 

 rieties.' A few wanted to 'give it one more trial and 

 see if it would not do as it did years ago ;' others had 

 'heard of its value and wanted to test it ;' one or two 

 ' liked it to eat better than any other," and two planted 

 it becavise they ' had a demand for the fruit for canning 

 purposes.' All agreed that they were growing more 

 profitable varieties, and mentioned Bubach, Haverland, 

 Crescent, Windsor and Warfield as better sorts, about 

 in the order named. 



' ' Some eight or ten years ago I conceived the idea that 

 the deterioration of the Wilson was caused largely by 

 careless methods of propagation — the taking of plants 

 from old beds, etc. — and concluded that if I could once 

 obtain an improved or well selected strain of plants I 

 could by selection in a few years breed up to the old- 

 time vigor and productiveness. From near Albany, 

 N. Y., I finally obtained a stock that had been carefully 

 propagated for years. From this stock I have each year 

 selected the best for planting stock, and believe that I 

 have to-day the best strain of Wilsons in the United 

 States. The plants are strong and lusty in growth, 

 very seldom showing any signs of rust or leaf blight. 

 The bloom is perfect, and the fruit sets well, yet does 

 not come up to the old time standard, either in size or 

 color. I have become thoroughly satisfied that it has 

 ' had its day, ' and that it is worse than useless to attempt 

 to revive it, except through its seedlings, or better still, 

 through the seedlings of such vigorous pistillate varieties 

 as the Haverland, Bubach or Crescent, that have been 



