t863.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
101 
MONITOR. 
[ADVERTISEMENT.] 
THE TRIBUNE 
PRIZE STRAWBERRIES. 
How they Originated— How tliey Look 
and Taste-Why tliey are Given to tlie 
Subscribers of The Tribune— When and 
to M horn they will be Distributed. 
The'cuts herewith presented represent "The Trib- 
une Prize Strawberries*' — so named because we pin- 
chased lliem, at a very large price, to bestow exclusive!!/ 
upon the subscribers off either edition of The Tribune 
for 1863, intending to send one of each kind tn every sub- 
scriber who expresses a wish to that effect at the time of 
subscribing. This will be equal to a prize of $1 50 to 
each subscriber, as that is the price charged by nursery- 
men for similar plants. Indeed, neither of these prize 
strawberries could be obtained at any price whatever, as 
we have secured every plant that can be produced in the 
year 1S63, exclusively, as prizes to our subscribers. We 
have incurred the large outlay necessary for this purpose, 
becnuse we have an earnest desire to see the propagation 
of improved fruit greatly extended, and because we be- 
lieve that every one who receives these plants and 
grows the fruit will hold The Tribune in kindly re- 
membrance for enabling him to enjoy such a good gift of 
a kind Providence, and will thereafter feel an increased 
desire to improve all the list of fruits. It is thus that 
health and happiness will be increased. 
As these plants have all to be grown from the few 
plants that we bought of Mr. Fuller in the Autumn of 
1S62, he will not he able to send them to subscribers until 
after the 1st of September, 1863, when they will be care- 
fully packed in oiled silk or paper, and forwarded, 
through the mail, at our expense, or by express at ex- 
pense of the receiver. The three plants will be sent to 
each person who sends to us a year's subscription for 
either the Daily, Setni-Weekly, or Weekly Tribune, in- 
dicating at the time of subscribing that he desires the 
Strawberries, and the distribution will 'be made in the 
order the subscribers' names and requests for Strawber- 
ries are received. 
Single subscribers will receive their plants by mail, 
done up in (died silk, or other suitable oiled substance. 
To Clubs, plants will be sent in packages, to corres- 
pond with the number of names in the Club ; anil where 
the number will warrant it, they will be sent by express, 
packed in boxes. 
New subscribers who desire strawherry plants should 
say so at the time they send their money, as we do not 
Intend to send any to those who will not appreciate them. 
They are too valuable to be wasted. There are parties 
who would gladly contract for Iho exclusive right to all 
these plants, at 25 cents a piece, and there are many sub- 
scribers who would not, as soon as they see and tasle the 
fruit, part with their prize fur a $5 "green back." 
HOW THESE NEW STRAWBERRIES WERE 
PRODUCED. 
The following statement is made by Andrew S. Fuller, 
horticulturist, Brooklyn, the originator of these straw- 
berries. He says : 
" It is now between seven and eight years since I com- 
menced sowing seeds of the strawberry for the purpose 
of producing new and improved varieties. I have always 
selected seeds from the largest and best that could be ob- 
tained, and the results were that I produced some few 
good varieties each season ; yet they were not such as I 
was willing should go out as my seedlings Every sear 
sim I selected the seed with more care than I did (he pre- 
vious one, and found that I made constant improvement. 
I therefore determined that I would put forth extraexer- 
tions and see if a few extra choice varieties could not be 
produced; In 1859 I obtained the best varieties known, 
and by fertilizing the flowers one with another, I expected 
to produce strawberries combining greater excellence 
than heretofore known. In this I was not disappointed. 
I produced that year many thousands of seedling plants, 
and the fruit of many was really excellent, so much so 
that I was urged not to throw the plants away; but as 
excellence, and not variety, was my object, I destroyed 
all but the most promising. I determined from the first 
thai no plant should go out as a seedling of mine unless it 
combined greater excellence than any other strawberry 
known. From Ibe selections of that year a competent 
Committee from the Farmers' Club of the American In- 
stitute, who had the matter three years in charge, made a 
selection of three soils, ripening early, medium and late, 
and these I preserved as the final result of my seven 
years* laborious experiments to procure improvement in 
strawberries from seeds. These I intended to dispose of 
in the ordinary way of a nurseryman's business, and 
should have done so but for the desire of The Tribunh 
to make a gratuitous distribution of these truly excellent 
strawberries to its subscribers. I have therefore con- 
tracted to furnish them exclusively for that purpose. 
Not one of them can be bought of me at any price. If I 
had kept them for sale to individuals the price would 
have been 50 cents each, or $5 a dozen." 
NAMES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PRIZE 
STRAWBERRIES. 
"The eailiest ripening one was named Col. Ells- 
worth, in honor of the martyr who lost his life when 
Alexandria, Va., was first occupied by the "Union army 
dining the present war. It is a very large variety, of a 
crimson color, conical in shape, and having slight dc- 
pressichs running from calyx to point, resembling the 
sutures on the peach, with a long neck, and the calyx 
parts readily from the berry ; quality good ; flesh firm. 
Although the largest of the three, it is also the earliest, 
ripening at the same lime as the Jenny Lind and Early 
Scarlet, and is very productive. The original plant, 
eighteen months from the time the seeds were sown, pro- 
duced over 200 perfect berries, averaging from 1 inch to 
\Ji inches in diameter. 
"The next ripening is called the Monitor. It Is very 
large, of a dark bright scarlet color, approaching a crim- 
son in the sun. Berry very solid and firm, of fine quality ; 
plants very vigorous and productive. This sort wili be- 
come a great market fruit, the color and shape being 
very attractive. 
"The third, from its color and origin, is called the 
Brooklyn Scarlet. Although this variety is inferior in 
size lo the other two, yet it possesses merits that will al- 
ways make it a great favorite. Its shape is a regulai ob- 
long rone, color the most beautiful bright scarlet. Fla- 
vor, the very best. We have the unanimous decision of 
the judges at the great strawberry show last season 
at No. 41 Park-Row, New-York, on this point, as they 
awarded it the first premium over all its numerous com- 
petitors. The plant is a very strong and vigorous grow- 
er, making monstrous stools the first season, from which 
an enormous amount of fruit stalks are produced. Add 
to this its lateness, which assists so much in prolonging 
the season of this delicious fruit, and we have in this 
strawberry something as near perfection as possible, 
though not as large as the others. Yet this is not small, 
and among the sorts most cultivated, ranks medium to 
large." 
The above descriptions by Mr. Fuller, in addition to all 
that we have already published, must be sufficient lo sat- 
isfy all minds that we are offering no trifling prize to our 
subscribers, as an indicalion of our good will, and certain 
ly with a hope of their continued good will to us. 
We have only to add that Ihe cuts are as exact repre- 
sentations as to size, as can be givpn, and In no respect 
exaggerations of The Tribune Prize Strawberries. 
