18 
W. F. Alle n’s Plant and Seed Catalogue, Salisbury, Md. 
COMMONWEALTH.—The past season being an 
unfavorable one, I can make no personal report on 
this variety. My stock of plants, I think, are as 
good as can be shown by any grower. It is my 
opinion that this will not make a good variety for 
the South, but havo no doubt that in the rich truck 
gardens of New England and the West that it will 
become a very fancy berrv. I quote from Mr. Mon¬ 
roe, the originator, as follows : 
“The Commonwealth is the outcome of the desire and an 
effort to produce a berry that would perceptibly lengthen the 
strawberry season. In the Common wealth we have a berry 
that is as large as the largest, as productive as any of the 
largest, as fine flavor, as solid and as dark color as any. It has 
a smooth surface, is very rich and juicy, and has strong stam- 
inate blossoms, On the 17th day of July, 1902, as good berries 
were picked as at any time during its season; Marshall, Glen 
Mary and McKinley, side by side with it, being gone. The 
last berries were picked July 22d. The plant is a strong 
grower, not so rank as the Marshall, and a fair plant-maker. 
The Massachusetts Horticultural Society, always ready to rec¬ 
ognize special merit, awarded the Commonwealth first prize 
in competition July 5, 1.902, and July 11, 1903." 
James J. H. Gregory, the well-known seedsman, 
of Marblehead, Mass., has this to say : 
“I saw the Commonwealth on the grounds of the originator, 
and a grand sight it was. The berry is tremendously large 
(fourteen of those I picked filled a quart basket), the berries 
are symmetrical in shape, and have a rich, glossy color; the 
flesh is red, nearly as dark as the Marshall. It is a great 
cropper and appears to be hard flesh enough to ship well. One 
of its most valuable characteristics is its lateness in maturing, 
for when I was there July 2d the large bed which had bushels 
of growing fruit had to be searched over very carefully to 
find a quart of ripe berries.” 
C. S. Pratt says: “It is a week later than Sample and a bet¬ 
ter berry; it will be sold as the Marshall and nine-tenths of 
the people will not know the difference.” Benjamin M. Smith, 
of Beverly, Mass., well known as a grower of fine strawberries 
and the introducer of the Beverly strawberry, says that he 
has watched the Commonwealth carefully on the originator’s 
grounds by the side of all the leading varieties, and for vigor 
and plant productiveness and quality of fruit it excels them 
all.” He says it is very late and one of the best he ever saw. 
NICK OHMER,—While some large growers plant 
more largely of this variety than any other, it does 
not seem to be a general favorit e with the great mass 
of strawberry growers. It is a variety that responds 
readily to high culture and extra attention. It 
thrives best on deep rather moist soil, and responds 
to extra care. It is not a berry that I would recom¬ 
mend if it is to be at ail neglected. It has a strong, 
perfec" blossom, productive of large, rich, dark red. 
globular berries, highly colored all the way through 
and of a superior flavor. It. is a great market berry 
and al o a superb variety lor the home table. Our 
stock of plants of this variety for 19' 7 is very nice. 
NICK OHMER. 
