1881 .] 
AMERICAN A GRIG IJLTURIST. 
327 
our own trial beds and a frequent tour among 
the commission men, have been confined to 
the exhibitions at Mineola and New York, 
and a visit to the grounds of E. P. Roe at 
Cornwall-on-the-Hudson. Of the newer ber¬ 
ries we have been most interested in 
The “Bidwell” Strawberry, 
as we had offered it as a premium, and been 
instrumental in sending it far and wide to 
every corner of the country. In thus send¬ 
ing out the “ Bid well ” we relied upon Mr. E. 
P. Roe’s judgment that it was ‘ ‘ the coming- 
berry.” We felt safe in doing this, as we had 
known Mr. Roe to be the first to discover and 
make known faults in his own seedlings of 
other fruits. Besides, we were informed by 
Mr. R. himself, that he did not control the 
‘•Bidwell,” but others had it in cultivation. 
It was very gratifying to see the ‘ • Bidwell ” 
in cultivation on a large scale ; to see large 
beds that were set out last August for market 
purposes, and also beds of two years' stand¬ 
ing. After a careful inspection of the “ Bid- 
well,” on various soils, and in different con¬ 
ditions, we feel like congratulating those who 
have received the plants as premiums. The 
productiveness of the plant is simply won¬ 
derful, and that is one great point in a straw¬ 
berry, while it runs of unusually uniform 
size. With our present knowledge, if asked 
to name a strawberry which we would prefer 
to the “ Bidwell ” to send out as premiums, we 
could not do it, as we do not now know of 
any one berry that we can so confidently rec¬ 
ommend for general cultivation. The lead¬ 
ing strawberry of the last two years has been 
The “Sharpless,” 
and an admirable fruit it has proved to be. 
The markets are an excellent test of the 
value of a fruit, and the “Sharpless” has ap¬ 
peared in great abundance. As compared to 
the “ Bidwell,” we should say that it did not 
equal that in productiveness, and was not so 
firm for shipping—still the “Sharpless” will 
long hold a prominent place in the list of 
first class strawberries. The chief novelty 
brought to our notice the present season is 
The “ Manchester.” 
Some time ago, our friend, J. T. Lovett, 
Small Fruit Grower at Little Silver, N. J., in¬ 
timated that he 
had a surprise 
in store for us 
at “ strawberry 
time.” Last 
spring he sent 
us an invita¬ 
tion to visit the 
grounds of Mr. 
Jesse Battey, at 
Manchester, N. 
J. We were 
unable to go, 
but we request¬ 
ed a friend who 
did go, to bring 
specimens and 
information. It 
seems that another party from Philadelphia 
and vicinity met a large party from around 
New York to pass judgment on the berry. 
Mr. Battey found the plant as a chance seed¬ 
ling and multiplied it until he now has 
several acres planted with it. There is 
nothing remarkable about the size or shape 
of the fruit, as the engraving of a cluster 
shows. The productiveness is described as 
something wonderful, when the soil, or 
properly earth (for there is little that can be 
called soil), in which it grows, is considered. 
Thinking that we might not know the “ Pine 
Barren ” soil, our friend was at the trouble 
of bringing us a sample in which the plants 
grew. Among the horticulturists who met 
at Manchester, were experts like E. P. Roe, 
J. T. Lovett, Wm. Parry, W. F. Dreer, J. H. 
Hale, John Coffins, C. W. Idell, W. F. Bas- 
reason to believe that wherever it may be 
grown it will hereafter be better than it was 
when seen by this party of visitors. We shall 
be greatly disappointed if the “ Manchester’" 
does not make its mark in the future. 
Among the varieties that were offered as 
novelties last year, and after another season’s 
trial are found to possess real merit, and are 
likely to retain a place in our collections, are : 
THE NEW STRAWBERRY—THE ‘ MANCHESTER. 
sett, B. B. Hance, and many others. After 
inspecting the plants in the field, and the 
fruit at the table, they gave as the “ sense 
of the meeting,” comparing it with the Wil¬ 
son, side by side on the same ground : “1. In 
size it averages one and a half larger. 2. Of 
much better flavor. 3. It is far more attrac¬ 
tive in appearance. 4. The plant is double 
the size and much more vigorous. 5. It car¬ 
ries the fruit higher from the ground. 6. 
The yield is one half greater. 7. In firmness 
it fully equals the Wilson.” We should have 
differed as to Nos. 2 and 3. It is not only of 
“much better flavor,” but it has a very good 
flavor, which the Wilson has not; it is not 
only “far more attractive in appearance,” 
but is really attractive in appearance—being 
bright at the end of four days, while the Wil¬ 
son begins to be duff as soon as it is picked. 
We look upon the Manchester with much 
interest, for the reason that many of our 
popular varieties, which were satisfactory in 
the rich soils where they originated, have 
been miserably poor when taken to light, 
“SENECA QUEEN.” 
sandy soils. In this we have a berry that 
started at the other end, originates upon a 
sand so poor, that it can not with propriety 
be called a soil. It can not be possible for it 
to be planted in a poorer soil, and have every 
“ Oliver Goldsmith,” 
which originated with 
Wm. Bennison, Dela¬ 
ware, Ohio, and is 
claimed to be a cross 
between the Monarch 
of the West and 
Charles Downing. It 
is said to be remarka¬ 
bly hardy. The plant 
is very prolific, the 
berries of good size, 
reasonably firm, of the 
shape shown in the 
engraving. The neck, 
which is here very 
conspicuous, is an ex¬ 
cellent feature in a 
strawberry, as it faci¬ 
litates preparing it for 
the table. This va¬ 
riety is regarded as 
a strong competitoi 
of the “Bidwell.” 
“Seneca Queen.” 
This, as the engrav¬ 
ing shows, is quite the 
opposite of the preced¬ 
ing in shape, being 
usually broader than long. It is another won¬ 
derfully prolific variety. In flavor it stands 
among the very best ; the high quality and 
abundance of its fruit make it a first-class 
home berry. Its success in the market is doubt¬ 
ful, especially on account of the dark color of 
the fruit, much like the old “ Black Prince.” 
“ Memphis Bate,” 
is a variety highly commended by Mr. Roe 
as having the genuine wild strawberry flavor. 
The plants on Mr. R.’s grounds were remark¬ 
ably vigorous. Its lateness is shown by the 
fact that when 
we took the 
others for illus¬ 
trations, this 
was not only 
unripe,buteven 
not full-grown. 
“Red Jacket.” 
This, on the 
other hand, is 
commended for 
its earliness 
and excellent 
flavor. Just 
after the long rains the fruit was intensely 
sour, but showed high quality ; it is too soft 
for a market variety, but no doubt of value 
for home use. Another promising variety is 
“Mount Vernon, or Kirkwood.” 
Mr. Lovett, in writing about the “Man¬ 
chester,” mentions this as one of the new va¬ 
rieties that “have come to stay,” and most 
surprising accounts are given by others of the 
crops it has yielded. Mr. L. thinks that the 
plants are the strongest of any he has seen. 
The berries are described as being very large 
and regular, light scarlet, and exceptional¬ 
ly fine in flavor; ripens decidedly late, in 
fii’mness about like the “ Charles Downing.” 
“red jacket.” 
