W. F. Allen’s Plant and Seed Catalogue, Salisbury, Md. 
9 
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i. — ibis is a very popular berry in some sec¬ 
tions, especially in the middle West. We 
have sold a great many thousands plants of Clyde in 
Kentucky, where it seems to be one of the leading ones 
for main crop. The Clyde is immensely productive, 
with fruit nearly as large as the Bubach, and would 
be one of the most popular varieties, but for the fact 
that its foliage sometimes gives way about fruiting 
time, and there is not sufficient to protect its immense 
crop of fruit. This deficiency can to a very great ex¬ 
tent be overcome by an application of nitrate of soda 
just before they come in blossom, being careful to put 
it on when the plants are dry. When this method is 
followed it is a very desirable variety. 
MARSHALL - This is a great fancy berry for 
the New England market. The 
grocers are always delighted to get the Marshall on 
account of its dark red glossy color that is bound to 
attract and please customers. It is one of the richest 
flavored strawberries grown. The only fault we can 
find of the Marshall is that it does not last the whole 
year. This is one of the good old standbys, and we 
have seldom been able to fill the orders received for 
plants of this variety. I have an excellent stock this 
year, however, and hope to be able to supply all who 
want it. It is a winner at all Exhibitions, and has 
taken more premiums at the Boston berry show than 
any other variety. It is a strictly fancy berry, not 
quite as productive as some other varieties, but the 
large size of the berry goes a long way towards mak¬ 
ing up for this in filling the quarts, and the extra 
price received for them will more than compensate for 
their lack of productiveness and the cost of any extra 
care that you can give them. The best class of trade 
will pay more for berries like the Marshall after -once 
using them. The foliage of the plants is very large 
and of a beautiful upright growth. 
HUMMER.— Origin not known. The berry was 
sent me by a customer in Kalama¬ 
zoo Co.. Mich., Mr. John Kolvoord, who writes me 
about the berry as follows : “W. F. Allen—Dear Sir : 
On my ground is a new strawberry that is a hummer. 
Understand me, I am not its originator. It has been 
grown several years by a man who lives about ten 
miles from here. lie always refused to sell plants, 
notwithstanding as high as $2.00 each were offered 
for them, but two or three years ago he sold some by 
mistake for Sharpless. After finding it out he tried 
to induce the buyer to give up the plants. The buyer 
mistrusted what he had received and said they would 
do. We growers have not been able to compete with 
this berry In the Battle Creek market, as one of its 
merchants had its exclusive sale and shipped it as a 
fancy berry to Kalamazoo, Jackson, etc. The original 
owner has sold out and moved to the West. I know 
of but one party who has this variety. He is an old 
man from whom I got my plants, and I do not believe 
it has been introduced. It is my opinion that it is an 
English berry, because the man above alluded to is an 
Englishman. The originator (?) being out of the field 
and out of the business, I felt at liberty to let you 
have some of the plants. Yours truly, John Kol¬ 
voord.” I procured plants from this party at once, 
and from his description called it the Hummer, and 
offered it to the public three years ago for the first 
time. It is a very strong, healthy plant, somewhat 
resembling New York. These large, vigorous plants 
load up with big, luscious berries. Anyone who buys 
plants of this variety cannot help but feel that they 
have something valuable when they see the large, 
stalky plants it makes. A customer writing from 
Ridgely, Md.. has this to say : “If you remember, I 
bought a number of varieties of strawberries from you 
in the spring of 1906 ; among them were the Hummer. 
These plants fruited this season, and I want to say 
that the Humer beats anything I ever saw or heard 
of. I think you will have a great many orders for 
them from this section.” I will add that I have had 
many good reports from the Hummer wherever it has 
been grown, and I especially recommend it for the 
home garden or local market. 
