W. F. Allen’s Plant and Seed Catalogue, Salisbury, Md. 
5 
CHESAPEAKE.— This new berry 
has now been 
fruited to some extent in almost all 
sections of the country, and there are 
so many good things said about it that 
it is difficult to decide which to print in 
the limited space in which it must be 
described. In my 1003 catalogue I 
offered $100.00 for the best dozen plants 
of any unintroduced variety sent me. 
The Chesapeake won the prize. It was 
originated by John W. Parks, Wicomico 
county, Maryland. It is a chance seed¬ 
ling and its parentage is not known. In the test plot 
where over a hundred varieties were competing for this 
prize it was so far in advance of all the rest that any 
child could have easily picked out the Chesapeake as 
the winner. I describe the variety as follows : Plants 
large and vigorous, no rust, and no weakness of any 
kind. The foliage is thick and leathery, upright leaf 
stems with the leaves almost round. The fruit is borne 
on large stems, the great proportion of which stand 
up, holding the fruit from the ground. The Chesa¬ 
peake bears more fruit on single stems than any 
variety I know of. The blossoms are perfect; the 
fruit is uniformly large, averaging even larger than 
Gandy, and as compared with Gandy it is more pro¬ 
ductive, firmer and better quality, without the green 
tips which are often found in the Gandy. The Chesa¬ 
peake colors all over at once. The flavor of this berry 
ranks with William Belt, Brunette and others of that 
class. Perhaps the strongest arguments that I could 
put up to prove my good opinion of the variety is the 
fact that I am planting this almost exclusively for 
fruit in preference to all other varieties. Time of rip¬ 
ening about the same as Gandy. I use the Gandy for 
comparison because it is so universally known. Like all 
other strawberries to be at its best it should be planted 
on rich, springy land, but does remarkably well on 
any land that will grow strawberries of any kind. The 
Chesapeake is the easiest variety to pick of any that 
I know of. and pickers can pick" more of this than of 
any variety that I have handled, and where pickers are 
scarce this is a great advantage. 
A few weeks ago I sent out several hundred letters 
al over the country to parties who had bought plants 
of me two years ago. I asked them to describe the 
varieties that they had purchased of me, giving a true 
account, whether good or bad, and in almost every 
instance those who purchased Chesapeake speak in the 
highest terms of it. To show the wide range of coun¬ 
try over which it has proved a success, I will quote 
from some of these letters. George M. Pontius, of 
Pickaway Co., Ohio, says: “The Chesapeake is the best 
all-around berry I ever raised. It is the best late 
berry of large size and fine quality.” Phillip G. 
Scarff. of Harford Co.. Md., says: “Chesapeake is not 
only the best I had. but the best I ever sa ?/.” Louis 
Lucas, of Allegheny Co., Pa., says: “Chesapeake are 
fine.” C. W. Patterson, of San Bernardino Co., Cal., 
says : “Chesapeake justifies your claims.” S. Iv. Gar¬ 
rison, of Albemarle Co.. Va., says : “I like the Chesa¬ 
peake fine.” G. W. Miller, of Garfield Co., in the far- 
off northwestern State of Washington, says : "Chesa¬ 
peake has many good qualities; for flavor they are 
dandies : good bearers and large berries. I am going 
to run all my planting into Chesapeake and William 
Belt. They stood the drought best of all.” W. F. 
Crockett, of Craven Co., N. C., says : “Your Chesapeake 
are all O. Iv.” It. McFadden, of Licking Co., Ohio, 
says : “The Chesapeake is all that you claim for it. 
It should have been named World-Beater. I sold every 
bushel of my Chesapeake berries at $4.00. I will want 
o.OOO Chesapeake plants next spring.” John H. Frin- 
ger, McDonough School. Baltimore Co.. Md., says : “We 
bought 1,000 Chesapeake plants and they surpassed 
everything I have ever seen in strawberry culture, 
notwithstanding the fact that they grew under great 
disadvantage. Under favorable conditions I am sure 
they are one of the most wonderful berries grown.” 
John Hargett, of Butler Co., Ohio, says : “Tthe Chesa¬ 
peake were wonderful. The people in my home mar- 
