138 
JOHN LEWIS CHILDS, FLORAL PARK, N. Y. 
Darling— The originator says: "This is the most productive 
and earliest of any on my grounds. It is a seedling of 
Mitchell’s Early and has fruited three years. .It is 
certainly a fine berry, medium size. I believe it is the 
finest early sort. The cluster illustrated was picked in 
May 1898 from the originator’s patch. We have fruited it 
here and found it to be fully twice as productive as 
Mitchel’s Early, will average larger in size aud ripens 
same time. In health and vigor of plant it is equal to any 
I ever saw; have never seen any rust on it. Last year it 
sold at $20.00 per 100. Strong, healthy, vigorous plants, 
60c. per doz.; $2.00 per 100; $12.00 per 1,000. 
Johnson’s Early— From Somerset County, Md. There is 
but little doubt that this is one of the most valuable early 
berries ever offered. Mr. L. Shanley Davis, of New York, 
makes a specialty of handling the finest fruits and berries 
grown, and he says that Johnson’s Early is the finest 
early berry he has had in the store. It is a seedling of 
Hoffman and Crescent. In size this berry is much larger 
than Hoffman, deep red in color, glossy, firm, sweet and 
of excellent flavor. The plant resembles Hoffman. It 
makes runners freely. In point of yield it is as produc¬ 
tive as Crescent. It ripens with Mitchel’s Early m point 
of time. Soon after .blossom the stem curves and the 
fruit turns down, thus getting the protection of the cap. 
The plant is perfectly healthy and is believed to be abso¬ 
lutely rust proof. 60c. per doz.; $2.00 per 100; $12.00 per 1,000. 
Echo— The great table berry. It has the highest andTichest 
flavor of all Strawberries. A very productive variety. 
Mid-season. Eruit large. Every fruit grower should 
have it in his garden. When you have fruited it you will 
never do without it. While we have grown and fruited 
it only one year it appears to us to be the finest beery 
yet introduced. It certainly has no equal in rich sweet 
flavor, at the same time being very large and handsome, 
75c. per doz.; $2.50 per 100. 
Gibson —A berry that will excel all mid-season berries 
that have been introduced. It originated at Marlboro 
on the Hudson, the oldest fruit growing section in this 
country, and the fact that the originators sold near¬ 
ly 100,000 plants, within a radius of ten miles, in the 
spring of 1899, at a price of $15 per 1,000 is a good testi¬ 
monial of its merit. It has never been grown for 
market by any one except originator. It has all of the 
qualities of a money maker1st, it has a perfect blossom, 
2nd, it is a good, strong grower. 3rd, it is very productive 
of large, round, firm, uniform and good colored fruit. 
4 th. its shipping quality is its greatest merit, as is shown 
by following sales from originator’s book: In the spring of 
1899 we experienced in this locality the most severe 
drought known to the oldest inhabitants, but notwith¬ 
standing this the Gibson produced a fair crop and for the 
season the average price for the Gibson was over 13c. per 
qt., an average greater than the highest price for any other 
variety. 60c. per doz.; $2.00 per 100; $12.00 per 1,000. 
