4 
W. F. Allen’s Plant and Seed Catalogue, Salisbury, Md. 
CARDINAL.— After growing this variety another 
season my observation confirms my 
previous good opinion of the Cardinal. It is very vigorous 
and productive and exceptionally firm and handsome. It 
is strictly a business berry ; the quality is not tine, but 
it looks so well, yields so well and sells so well and so 
easy grown, it is one of the most profitable varieties 
to grow. The berries average large and are bluntly 
conical with a bright green cap that holds up remark¬ 
ably after shipping. It possesses the solidity of the 
old Wilson, united with the vigor of plant, prolific 
yield and brightness of color of the famous Crescent, 
while the berries are larger, much larger, than either 
of them. Season from medium to quite late. One 
grower remarked that it gets right down to business at 
once and keeps at i't all the time. A New York custo¬ 
mer says: “The Cardinal is a valuable berry here, 
good color and productive. The plants are hardy and 
vigorous, and I like it.” Another customer in Ohio 
writes : “Good in plant growth and of wonderful yield. 
Altogether we consider this a very valuable berry.” 
DICKIE.— This is a Yankee variety, being origi¬ 
nated by Mr. J. D. Gowing, of Massa¬ 
chusetts, who originated the Sample. Mr. Gowing 
considers the Dickie a very fancy berry, and says that 
it soid for more than the Sample in the Boston market 
out of the same field. Mr. Gowing has been a straw¬ 
berry grower for 40 years and has grown many straw¬ 
berries, but says he has seen nothing finer in the berry 
line in his life. Last year it commenced to ripen in 
Massachusetts the middle of .Tune and continued to 
July 18th. Mr. Gowing is very enthusiastic over this 
berry, hut it remains to be seen whether or not it 
gives the satisfaction the Sample has generally done. 
My impression is that it will not. although it is an 
excellent berry, making exceedingly large, strong and 
vigorous plants. The eating quality is excellent and 
the berries are very large : it' is also very productive, 
and Mr. Platt, who introduced this berry last spring, 
gave this invitation : "Come and see the Dickie fruit¬ 
ing next summer on Mr. Gowing’s farm ; it will pay 
you, even if you have to come all the way on snow- 
shoes.” It is indeed a fine growing variety, and I 
think most growers will be pleased with it, especially 
those who grow for home use or local market. 
GOLDEN GATE.— This variety was produced by 
Mr. S. H. Warren, of Massa¬ 
chusetts, who is one of the oldest and most experienced 
growers in New England. IT® is a good judge of 
strawberries, and was largely instrumental in bringing 
the Marshall before the public. The Goldq* Gate js a 
strong grower with numerous plants ana luxuriant 
foliage. It has a strong, staminate blossom with lots 
of pollen, which produces strictly fancy, large fm?t, 
clear to the end of the season. It has a rich, crimson 
color with no green tips; it blossoms early and late, 
making it a good pollenizer for pistillate varieties. It 
was awarded first prize at the Massachusetts Horti¬ 
cultural Society in 1004. and was highly praised by all 
who saw it. The judges pronounced the quality much 
like Marshall. In June, 1006, this variety won $23.00 
in prizes on seven quarts before the same Society, and 
KBr. Warren sold over $75.00 worth of plants in five 
minutes after the premium cards had been placed on 
the baskets. In one instance seven berries filled a 
quart, and lots of them had only ten in a quart. Sea¬ 
son early to late. It is a good plant and one that I 
predict to give general satisfaction. ,.J 
f KIND WORDS OP APPRECIATION FROM 
*£ OUR CUSTOMERS. 
Or unsolicited testimonials. It does not matter 
£ which you call them. I like to get them, I like 
?£ to read them, and like to have others read them. 
£ I never ask for them, but try hard to merit all 
the good things they say about my plants and 
£ my business methods. I print them because 
T they are too good to hide or to fill the waste 
£ basket. I would like to print them all, but the 
& book is not big enough. 
£ Bo I get any kicks? Well, I guess so. Had 
one yesterday from a party in Florida who tele¬ 
s' graphed his order. He got his plants all right 
* and they were fine, but he bids me farewell and 
{ says I am not a gentleman because I refused to 
pay $1.60 for his telegram he sent collect, when 
a. it had just as well come by mail. A doctor in 
A, Delaware gets hot under the collar. He bought 
£ Dewberry plants last spring: asked me to wait 
A, on him until August. Knowing him to be worth 
£ from $15,000 to $20,000, I consented. He got 
his plants in good conditon—he wrote and said 
X. so. His tenants neglected the plants and let 
them die, now he blames me. Plants still un- 
$ paid for (for some unaccountable reason (?) 
plants bought on credit are very stubborn about 
i growing for some people—too bad!). A rail¬ 
road agent in Pennsylvania ordered $2.00 worth 
of plants to be shipped this fall. After the 
plants are shipped I received notice from him to 
hold his order and ship next spring. Well, 
could I? He thinks so, and writes four pages of 
foolscap paper to tell me I am a liar. Reading 
this kind of correspondence is not as pleasant 
as getting a letter from your best girl, but when 
your conscience is clear and you get about a 
hundred really appreciative letters like those 
printed in tills catalogue, it makes life worth 
living after all. My experience is that a large 
majority of my customers are honest, square peo¬ 
ple and It is a real pleasure to do business with 
them, and It does not lessen the pleasure any to 
read and publish all I can of their letters ol 
appreciation or testimonials. 
