22 
BARGAIN PRICE LIST OF BERRY PLANTS, Etc. 
ALL ABOUT THE FALL BEARING STRAWBERRIES 
I was about the first nurseryman in this country 
to recognize and comprehend the great value of 
the new race of strawberries, tlie fall or ever 
bearing varieties. Now most every nurseryman 
and seedsman is climbing over each other to get 
a share of the public's patronage for these new 
strawberries. Only those who are close to me 
know what effort and expense I have been to in 
order to educate people to the value of these ber¬ 
ries. Prejudice is hard to overcome and I never 
saw a more persistent case of pure prejudice than 
lias existed In the minds of most people regarding 
the fall bearing strawberries. Now, after several 
years, there are many who will not believe there 
is such a thing as a real fall bearing strawberry, 
and others who do know that there is such a 
thing, seem to think that no one has a right to 
produce strawberries out of season at such an 
from Mr. Cooper. In 1912 I procured 500 plants 
of Progressive. At various other times I have 
procured stocks of other varieties of fall bearing 
and so-called fall bearing varieties from other 
parties, but I will not mention them particularly 
because of their inferiority compared to the above 
named varieties—Francis, Americus, Progressive, 
Superb and Productive. These seem to me to be 
the only varieties that I have tested that seem 
worthy of trial. 
I was led to make the purchase of the 250 
plants each of Francis and Americus In 1910, by 
watching their behavior the year before. Mr. 
Kockhill had sent me G plants, each of four varie¬ 
ties in 1909, and I was able to observe them and 
judge of tljeir value, by watching them through¬ 
out tlie summer and fall of 1909. I don’t pretend 
to know anything else quite as well as I know 
nnbeard of time when peonle ought to be thinking 
only of peaches, pears, grapes, apples and tlie like. 
1 think that if you will read tins article carefully, 
you will be convinced that there is such a tiling 
in existence as the fall bearing strawberry; and 
whether they have a right for existence or not. 
the consumers want them, and are willing to pay 
a good price for them. 
The first American fall bearing strawberry was 
found by Samuel Cooper, in 1899. Mr. Cooper 
raised from this variety, which was called the 
I’an American, numerous seedlings, among them 
the Autumn. From the Autumn crossed with 
Pan American and others, he raised the Produc¬ 
tive and Superb. Mr. Harlow Kockhill raised 
numerous seedlings from crosses of the Pan 
American and other varieties, French and Ameri¬ 
can. From crosses of the I..ouis Gauthier and 
Pan American, Mr. Kockhill produced the Francis 
and Americus. From crosses of the Dunlap and 
Pan American he produced the Iowa, Progressive 
and others. 
I procured 250 plants each of Francis and 
Americus in 1910. In 1911 I procured several 
thousand plants, each of Superb and Productive, 
the strawberry business and I said to myself, if 
there is nothing in those two varieties, the 
Francis and Americus, then L. J. Farmer don’t 
know much about tlie strawberry, so I sent in 
my order in the spring of 1910 for 500 plants. 
In the fall of 1910, I picked nearly 400 quarts 
(it lacked but four or five quarts of it) from 
the 500 plants set the previous May. This 
strengthened my confidence in the new berry. In 
the fall of 1910, 1 took a trip to Western New 
York, and saw Mr. Cooper; and to Ohio, and saw 
Mr. (h'awford. I found both of them fully as con¬ 
fident of the possibilities of the fall bearing straw¬ 
berries as was I. Mr. Crawford told me he wished 
he could sell out his business and devote his en¬ 
tire time to growing the fruit and plants for 
market. Mr. Cooper expressed the belief that 
when the fall bearing varieties were more fully 
understood, they would drive the common varie¬ 
ties out of cultivation. Neither of these gentle¬ 
men are mentally unbalanced. 
In the spring of 1911, I set nearly two acres to 
the fall bearing varieties. I purchased several 
thousand Superb and Productive of Mr. Cooper, 
and had them shipped to me in the fall of 1910. 
