ALLEN’S STRAWBERRY PLANT CATALOGUE. J 13 
ing.no green points, and presents a strikingly attractive appearance throughout 
the season. It is of firm texture of a superior flavor.” This^variety has not 
fruited in Salisbury. 
EXCELSIOR.—(See lower half 1st cover page.) I do not hesitate to say 
that the Excelsior is decidedly the best early strawberry and the earliest good 
strawberry jthat has ever been offered the American grower. I say this not be¬ 
cause I heard someone else say so, or because I saw it in the originator's descrip¬ 
tion, but because I am aware of the fact from personal experience, I have been 
growing Excelsior since the first year it was offered for sale; paying somewhere 
in the neighborhood of $100.00 per thousand for the plants, and had I known 
half as much about it as I do now, I would have bought all the plants there 
were, even at a higher price. From the first it has proven to be decidedly the 
earliest berry that I have ever grown: being from 3 to 4 days earlier than Mitch 
el’s Early. In the same field, with Mitchel’s Early, having the advantage 
of a dense pine thicket on the North side of the field, last year I fruited exactly 
11 acres, one acre of which was on a washy hillside, and did not produce more 
than half as many berries per acre as the balance of the field; yet this field of 11 
acres picked 55,902 qts., or 5,082 qts per acre. In a field test, without any spec¬ 
ial favors being shown, of course, I am aware that the catalogues tell us of gteat 
yields. In some instances as much as 15 or 20 thousand quarts per acre; and oc¬ 
casionally even greater claims than this are made. The calculation generally 
being based upon a square rod or short piece of row, no space being allowed for 
middles, or by some other deceptive calculations; but I am satisfied with a yield 
like this, and if any of my patrons have made a better one in the past season on 
an equal acreage, I would be pleased very much to know all the particulars. 
This field of Excelsior was planted in the spring of 1901, and as I said before, had 
no special care whatever, and not 'a pound of fertilizer until about the first of 
November when I gave it a top dressing of about 1,000 pounds of Mapes Fruit 
and Vine fertilizer per acre, afterwards covering the entire surface lightly with 
wheat straw. The next thing I did was to pick the crop. m* 
So well am I pleased with the result of this crop, that I expect to plant for 
fruit the coming winter and spring, about 80 acres of this variety alone. I think 
this is the best proof that I could give you of my good opinion of the Excelsior, 
which is a persistent healthy grower, a cross between Hoffman and Wilson 
Albany, twice as vigorous and healthy as either, will average larger than Hoff¬ 
man, twice as productive, and equally as firm, which is saying a great deal, but 
not one word more than I can substantiate. 
ENHANCE.—Medium to late, long season and good pollenizer. Berries 
somewhat irregular in shape, medium to large and firm± A rank, vigorous 
grower, with very healthy foliage. 
FAIRFIELD .—This variety has not fruited here; being one of the new 
candidates for public favor. My attention was first called to it last spring by 
Mr. Stanton B. Cole of Cumberland Co., N. J., the introducer, who speaks of it 
as follows: ‘ In the spring of 1901 our attention was called to a new seedling 
strawberry growing on P. Johnson’s farm; and just as it was commencing to 
ripen, we made it a point to go and see the berry and plants. We were very 
much pleased with it, and thought it a berry worthy of general distribution, 
and a yaluable addition to the already long list of strawberries, but Mr. John¬ 
son and I could not agree, as he had long enjoyed a monopoly of this variety. 
He had let no one have any plants as the fruit was paying him much better 
than any, of some dozen or 20 kinds growing, and he has from 20 to 30 acres; 
and not until the 20th of December, 1901, did I induce Mr. Johnson to give the 
plants general distribution. No genuine plants can be obtained except from 
us. Mr. Johnson says he has never seen any berry nearly its equal for earli¬ 
ness, large size, attractive color, quality and firmness.” This is a good many 
superlatives to put on one variety, nevertheless, I give you the author, and you 
must use your own judgement until I can fruit it and speak personally. I can 
say this however, that the plants are strong and vigorous, and certainly look 
very promising at this time, and if the fruit and fruiting capacity of the variety 
is one half as gjod as Mr. Johnson thinks, it would be worth trying. 
