J. H. Shivers Plant Farms, Allen, Maryland 15 
BIG JOE 
PLANT GROWTH: The plant is a vigorous grower, very healthy and 
medium productive. 
SIZE AND QUALITY: The berries are large in size and have a large 
bright green cap which increases their attractiveness. They are, also, very 
fine in quality. Market gardeners who retail their berries, those who sell at 
the farm or on roadside market, or, in fact, anyone who can get a premium 
for large, handsome, high quality fruit should include Big Joe in their plant- 
ings. 
PRODUCTIVENESS: No midseason variety that I have ever grown 
comes as near being a worthy runner for Premier as does Big Joe. This var- 
jety does well on nearly all types of soil, but, like most others, responds quick- 
ly to good care and fertility. When grown for local or nearby markets where 
the shipping distance is not so great, Big Joe is one of the best money-makers 
we have. Locally, it comes in with fine, handsome berries just as many of 
the early varieties are beginning to run down, and brings a premium of a 
dollar or two per crate over anything then being offered. 
CATSKILL 
PLANT GROWTH: It is a cross of the Marshall and Premier. When 
planted in good land and well taken care of, it produces a good bed of very 
attractive and healthy plants. 
SIZE AND QUALITY: The berries are very large and uneven in shape 
but uniform in size, light in color, with a very bright green cap. Thus the 
appearance will make them attractive on the market. It starts ripening 
about the time of Big Joe and continues to bear large size berries as long as 
some of the later varieties. 
PRODUCTIVENESS: From my experience and talk with growers, it is 
one of the most productive mid-season varieties ever introduced, equal to 
Premier under favorable conditions. My customers are using this variety 
as a late berry as well as mid-season, due to its bearing nice berries as late 
as some of the late varieties. 
