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16 
W. F. Allen’s Plant and Seed Catalogue, Salisbury, Mffi 
EXCELSIOR.—There is nothing that I have ever 
seen that is earlier than the Excelsior. The fruit is 
of good size, very productive and one of the best 
shipping berries. I have grown acres of it that 
would average over 5,000 quarts to the acre. Taking 
the whole country over, this variety has been, and 
s probably still, more largely grown than any other 
extra early variety. If given half a chance, it will 
take care of itself‘and bring splendid returns. 
GANDY.—Too well known to need any extended 
description. This is the standard late variety all 
over the country. Two years ago, when w r e had 
our voting contest of varieties, the Gandy received 
more than twice as many votes as any other late 
market berry. It should be planted in black swamp 
land if possible; otherwise, in clay land or medium 
land on the springy order; never on dry, sandy land. 
I have an excellent stock of plants of this popular 
sort this season. 
HEFLIN’S EARLY makes a splendid growth of 
vigorous plants, free from disease. Its fine color 
and carrying quality make it a popular market vari¬ 
ety. This variety has been grown to a considerable 
extent on the Maryland and Delaware Peninsula, 
and in large quantities in the South. It does not 
seem to be over and above productive, but every 
berry is a perfect one, and in the end the number of 
quarts compare favorably with other varieties. 
GEN. JOE WHEELER.— This is a Southern variety 
and is supposed to be a descendant of the Lady 
Thomson, as its foliage bears quite a little resem¬ 
blance to that variety. It is about equal to Lady 
Thompson in size and very much resembles it in 
color and productiveness. It has a perfect blossom 
and is very strong, vigorous and healthy. Season a 
little earlier than lady Thomson. 
BUSTER fruited 
with me last season 
for the first time, 
under very unfavor¬ 
able conditions; 
nevertheless, it 
made a good im¬ 
pression with me, as 
it was heavily load¬ 
ed with large, well- 
colored berries. It 
has an abundance of 
dark green foliage, 
without a spot of 
rust. This is a Ca¬ 
nadian variety, and 
I quote you the fol¬ 
lowing from the 
OttawaExperiment 
Station: 
“Buster is said to be 
a cross between Bubach 
and Sharpless. It is a 
pistillate variety, medi¬ 
um late in season, of 
large size, bright light 
red, moderately firm, 
and medium quality. 
The points which make 
it superior to many oth¬ 
er varieties are its long 
fruiting season,the fact 
that it hold s it s size well 
to the last picking, its 
good foliage, and great 
productiveness. ’ * 
It is my opinion 
that all who care to 
grow this variety 
will be well pleased 
with it. 
MAY KING. —22 
years ago, when I 
first entered the 
plant business, on a very small scale, the May King 
was the first variety I grew for plants. It pleased a 
great many growers at that time, and, to my knowl¬ 
edge, made money for quite a number of them. I 
grew this variety for a number of years (I forget just 
how long), and finally let it go altogether Some 
three or four years ago I tried to get a new stock of 
it, and had great difficulty in doing so, but finally, 
two years ago, I procured about 300 plants. These 
were miscarried to Salisbury, N C., and finally 
reached me almost dead; but, using great care, I 
succeeded in saving 100 of these plants. From those 
I now have about 40,000. Judging from the money 
made on this variety years ago, I am inclined to 
think that it would still be a very profitable variety 
to grow for market. My main object, however, in 
putting it in stock again, was to supply my many 
customers who wanted a strictly first-class early 
berry for home table. As I remember it, there are 
few varieties equal to it, and to those seeking a 
strictly fine table berry among the early varieties, 
I especially recommend the May King; and as to its 
market value, I have in mind one party to whom I 
sold several thousand plants; I think it was twenty- 
one years ago this spring. He sold his entire crop 
in the New York market for from 18 to 25 cents per 
quart. This party was so well pleased that he never 
refused to buy any new variety that I recommended 
afterward as long as he lived. 
SPLENDID" —Very productive of uniform, medium- 
size berries. It should not, however, be allowed to 
get too thick, as it will do if not kept thinned out. 
It has a strong staminate blossom and is one of the 
best to pollenize such pistillate varieties as Warfield, 
Crescent and others of that class. This berry is well 
named, as under favorable conditions it is certainly 
splendid. 
