EVERBEARING STRAWBERRIES 
Lovers of strawberries are -iclighted 
zo know that they can now h..',ve this 
favorite fruit five or six months in the 
year, instead of one, as in days gonp 
by. Everbearing plants set in the 
spring will yield a good crop in thi. 
fall, again the next June, and stii 
again the second fall, making thre^ 
tirops in two years, instead of onb. 
When the plants are set in the spring 
the blossoms should be kept off until 
the middle or last of July to allow the 
plants to become strong and well es- 
tablished. There will be ripe fruit in 
about four weeks from the time you 
stop cutting the blossoms, and right 
along after that until the ground 
freezes up for winter. 
The first American everbearing va- 
riety known was the Pan-An-erican, 
discovered in a bed of Bismarck by 
Samuel Cooper, of Delevan, N. Y., 
about foui-teen years ago. This is the 
ancestor of all the native everbearers 
before the public today, and there are 
probably a dozen varieties. We have 
four — Americus, Iowa, Progressive and 
Superb. The first three were origin- 
ated by Hariow Rockhill, and vhe last 
by Mr. Coorier. Mr. Rockhill also pro- 
duced Francis, which is a pi-olific 
yielder of delicious berries, but does 
not niake plants rapidly. The varie- 
ties mentioned all have perfect blos- 
soms and are good yielders. Americus 
is a close rival of Francis in flavor, 
both being very superior. Superb and 
Progressive come next, while Iowa is 
just fair, nothing extra. Iowa, how- 
ever, has 'the advantage in size, being 
the largest of. the group, with the ex- 
ception of Superb. 
AMERICUS has been before the pub- 
lic long enough to become quite well 
known, and does not need to be de- 
scribed at great length. It is a vigor- 
ous grower, a good plant-maker and a 
generous yielder. Its fruit is of fair 
size, and, as previously stated, deli- 
cious in flavor. The runner plants be- 
gin to blossom even before they take 
root, and continue in bearing as long 
as the w'eather permits. 
IOWA is the equal of Americus in 
\'igor, and even exceeds it in produc- 
ing plants. Its fruit is considei'abl^' 
larger, but falls behind in flavor. It is 
a good yielder, and the young 7-unnerg 
bear fruit, but hardly as freely as 
those of Americus. Two years ago ti 
was our opinion that this was the best 
money-maker of all the everbearers 
we then had, but appeai'ances now in- 
dicate that Superb will take the lead. 
Pr^OGRESSiVE — This is new to the 
public, and is still under the control 
of the originator, Mr. Rockhill. who 
has set the price at .|2.00 per dozen, 
which, npi quite as high as the 
initial price of his previous introduc- 
tions. It is a genuine everbearer and 
its little runners, like those of Amer- 
icus, play that they are grown-ups and 
bloom before they take root. Mr. 
Rockhill places a high estimate on 
this variety, which he states was the 
only plant retained out of four thou- 
sand hybrid seedlings. In 1911 he 
called it "a winner," and in 1912 "the 
best berry on earth." He compares 
the plant with Dunlap in vigor and 
hardiness and also in producing young 
plants. The fruit is of medium size, 
red throughout, and excellent in qual- 
ity. 
SUPERB — This berry does justice 
to its name. It is a splendid grower 
and makes plenty of plants. Mr. 
Cooper, the originator, describes the 
fruit as "large, dark red and glossy, 
firm, and of extra good quality." It 
has not the trait of bearing fruit on 
young runners to any considerable ex- 
tent, and for this reason it is more 
profitable grown in hills. W. F Allen 
says: "So far Superb is the best on 
the list." Several other growers also 
place it at the head. Locality and 
mode of treatment may have some- 
thing to do with this opinion. It is 
certainly a fine grower and bears 
splendidly on spring-set plants aU 
summer and fall, but the fact that t^e 
young runners do not, as a rule, yield 
fruit seems somewhat of a disadvan- 
tage unless one adopts the hill syb- 
tem of cultivation. In that case the 
Superb will give ample crops, three 
in two year's, of fine, high-flavored 
berries. 
Mr. D. J. Miller, of Millersburg, 
Ohio, an experienced strawberry 
grower, and the originator of several 
good varieties, writes as foUoi^ s: "The 
Superb is the most valuable among all 
the fall bearers. It is a strong and 
healthy grower, makes plenty of run- 
ner plants, and some of these will 
fruit the first season. I found one 
that ripened fine berries before it 
had taken root, but to produce a large 
crop I presume the runners should be 
kept off all summer. I let all the run- 
ners grow the past season. I was after 
the plants and not the fruit, but we 
still had plenty of fruit, and the plants 
that made but few runnei's bore by 
far the most. The Superb is very 
large, of the finest form, wonder- 
fully attractive to the eye, and of ex- 
cellent flavor. I have grown them the 
past season that twenty berries filled 
a quart basket heaped full." 
Such a report as the above seems 
sufficient to tempt any one v.'ho has 
the use of a garden spot to plant a 
bed of some everbearing variety. It 
is a pleasure that must be experienced 
