Rockhill No. 26 Everbearing 
Strawberry 
Rockhill No. 26 was originated by Harlow Rockhill of Conrad, Iowa. It 
has also been known as "Wayzata” and "Bonanza.” 
It bears a large, attractive berry about the size of the Mastodon. Its flavor 
is superb, unsurpassed by any of the spring fruiting sorts; it is prolific. Plants 
set in the spring 30x36 inches have been bearing 400 or 500 24-pint crates the 
same season as planted. Money returns will of course depend upon the market. 
Some years they have made me over $1,000 per acre. Larger yields and returns 
per acre could be secured from a closer planting distance. 
Dr. George Darrow, chief of the pomological division of the United States 
Department of Agriculture, who has been acquainted with this berry for a 
number of years, has pronounced it the best everbearing strawberry so far pro¬ 
duced. In a recent article in Better Fruit Magazine, he recommends it to replace 
all other varieties of everbearers. 
What might seem a drawback to this variety is that it does not make a large 
number of new runner plants. This results in greater expense for the first plant¬ 
ing as plants cannot be sold at prices that are standard for other varieties. 
However this is only a seeming drawback. The habit of the Rockhill is to 
produce a large number of crowns, running sometimes to as many as 25 to the 
plant in a single season. The energy employed by other kinds of berries in 
producing runners and nourishing plants at a distance is kept at home (so to 
speak) and used in building crowns and producing fruit. This habit accounts 
for the quick and* abundant fruit production of the Rockhill. It may also be 
stated here that no time or expense need be expended in keeping off runners. 
Such new plants as form begin bearing almost at once, multiplying crowns 
throughout the season. 
Building a considerable acreage from small beginnings, while slower than 
in the case of other varieties, may go forward at a fairly rapid rate. I started 
with four plants. Two of these had runner plants. The new plants had several 
crowns each. I took up new and old plants the next spring, divided them so that 
each divsion had some roots, and planted them as I would any others. They 
started off at once, new and old, making lusty growth and bearing abundantly 
the same season of large luscious berries. This process worked so well that I 
have followed it ever since selling plants not needed for my own use. While 
the habit of making few runners would seem a disadvantage, the contrary is true 
in fact, for the grower who has them. It may cost more and take a little longer 
to get a start but he will have less competition to contend with, as the timid and 
those who are unwilling to assume the initial expense will not undertake the 
