VARIETIES OF STRAWBERRIES
To attempt to describe all the strawberries that have been named would
be a task almost as interminable as useless. This whole question of
varieties presents a different phase every four or five years.
Therefore I treat the subject in my final chapter, in order that I may
give revision as often as there shall be occasion for it, without
disturbing the body of the book. A few years since, certain varieties
were making almost as great a sensation as the Sharpless. They are now
regarded as little better than weeds, in most localities. Thus the need
of frequent revision is clearly indicated. In chapter thirteen I have
spoken of those varieties that have become so well established as to be
regarded as standards, or which are so promising and popular as to
deserve especial mention. More precise and technical descriptions will
now be given. I shall not copy old catalogues, or name those kinds that
have passed wholly out of cultivation. Such descriptions would have no
practical value, and the strawberry antiquarian can find them in the
older works on this subject. Neither shall I name many foreign kinds,
as the majority of them have little value this side of the Atlantic.
Soil, climate, locality, and other reasons, cause such great
differences in opinion in regard to varieties that I expect exceptions
to be taken to every description. Many of the new sorts that I am
testing have not, as yet, proved themselves worthy of mention.
_Agriculturist._--Originated with the late Mr. Seth Boyden, of Newark,
N. J. Through the courtesy of an old friend of Mr. Boyden, I am able to
give his description of his own berry, copied from his diary by a
member of his family:
"No. 10.--Name, Agriculturist. A cross between No. 5 and Peabody's
Georgia; a hardy, tall grower, with much foliage and few runners;
berries very large, broad shoulders, slightly necked, often flat, and
some coxcombed or double, high crimson color to the centre, very firm,
and high-flavored. A staminate variety."
(No. 5 is the Green Prolific.) The Agriculturist was once very popular,
and is still raised quite largely in some localities, but is fast
giving way to new varieties. It is peculiarly adapted to light soils,
but on my place has scalded and "dampened off" badly. It seemingly has
had its day.
_Boyden's_ No. 30 (_Seth Boyden_).--I again let Mr. Boyden describe his
own seedling:
"Plant above medium size; round leaf, deep green; bears the summer heat
well; berries necked, rather long, large; abundance of seed; dark red;
has buds, blossoms, and ripe berries on the same peduncle; is of the
Agriculturist family, and an eccentric plant. Perfect flower."
From the reference above, I gather that No. 5, or Green Prolific, is
one of the parents of this famous berry. Mr. Boyden speaks of some of
his other seedlings more favorably than of this--another instance of
the truth that men do not always form the most correct judgments of
their own children. No. 30 will perpetuate Mr. Boyden's name through
many coming years, and all who have eaten this superb berry have reason
to bless his memory. No. 5 and No. 10 are rapidly disappearing from our
gardens. The Boyden (as it should be named) is one of the largest and
sweetest berries in cultivation--too sweet for my taste. It responds
nobly to high culture, but it is impatient of neglect and light, dry
soils. It is one of the best market berries, and although not hard, is
firm and dry, and thus is well adapted for shipping. It is one of the
few fancy berries that will endure long transportation by rail. As I
have stated, Mr. Jerolemon has raised 327 bushels of this variety on an
acre, and received for the same $1,386. Give it moist soil and cut the
runners.
_Bidwell._--Foliage light green, plant very vigorous; truss 3 to 5
inches high; berry very conical, bright scarlet, with a neck highly
glazed, glossy; flesh firm, pink; calyx close; season very early.
Not yet fully tested, but giving remarkable promise. It has seemed to
me to be the best of the new early berries. Staminate.
_Beauty._--Plant fairly vigorous, leaf crinkled; truss 4 to 6 inches
high; berry obtusely conical; long, glazed neck; crimson, 3 to 6 inches
in circumference; flesh light pink; flavor excellent; calyx spreading;
season early--a very fine and beautiful variety for the amateur and
fancy market. It requires petting, and repays it. It makes very few
runners. It originated with Mr. E. W. Durand, of Irvington, N. J.
Staminate.
_Black Defiance._--Plant vigorous, if the soil suits it; foliage dark
green, low, bushy; downy leaf-stalk; truss low; 2 1/2 to 4 inches;
berry very dark crimson; very obtuse conical, often round and
irregular; early, flesh dark crimson, flavor sprightly, high, and rich;
moderately productive; calyx spreading; inclined to stool; its runners
bear fruit in September. It is one of the best varieties originated by
Mr. Durand, who has given me the following history: "It is a seedling
of Boyden's Green Prolific, impregnated by the Triomphe de Gand. The
seed was planted in 1860. The berry was exceedingly tart when first
red, and was on that account pronounced worthless by competent judges
(so considered). Having but limited experience at the time, I threw it
aside, but afterward retained five plants to finish a row of trial
seedlings. Eventually it was shown at the exhibition of the New Jersey
Agricultural Society, and was awarded the first prize as the best new
seedling, by such competent judges as A. S. Fuller, Dr. Thurber, and
Chas. Downing." From that day to this all lovers of good fruit have
indorsed their opinion. It is firm, and can be shipped long distances.
Staminate.
_Black Giant._--Said to be a decided improvement on the above, and to
have the same general characteristics; but not yet tested by general
cultivation.
_Black Prince._--An old and once popular English variety, one of Keen's
seedlings, now rarely grown in this country.
_Brilliant._--Originated with W. B. Storer, of Akron, Ohio, who
describes it as "a large conical berry; color a dark, glossy red, and
deep red all through; flavor rich. Plant very hardy and prolific."
_British Queen._--One of Myatt's seedlings, of which Mr. J. M. Merrick
writes: "It is perhaps the most famous berry ever raised in England,
where it is a favorite for market." Unfortunately, it does not come to
full perfection here, and is not only tender but very capricious in
choice of soils. It is the parent of many excellent kinds. The fruit is
of the largest size and highest flavor. Staminate.
_Brooklyn Scarlet._--One of the best-flavored berries, but too soft,
except for home use. Originated with Mr. A. S. Fuller. Staminate.
_Boston Pine._--Once a favorite in the vicinity of Boston, and largely
used to fertilize Hovey's Seedling. But few are raised now, to my
knowledge. Fruit quite large; slightly conical; deep, glossy crimson;
rather firm; juicy, and of good flavor. The plant requires hill culture
in rich soil. Staminate.
_Burr's New Pine._--A medium-sized, roundish berry; scarlet in the sun;
pale in the shade; juicy, sweet, aromatic, early, very soft. Pistillate.
_Belle._--One of Mr. J. B. Moore's seedlings. New. I give an extract
from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society's report: "The Belle, we
think, is the largest strawberry ever exhibited on our tables." As yet,
not generally tested.
_Captain Jack_.--Plant moderately vigorous; leaf-stalk smooth, wiry;
very dark green foliage, which in many regions is inclined to burn;
truss 5 to 7 inches; recumbent; very much branched, with from 12 to 18
berries; berry light scarlet, round, fair size and uniform; flesh pink,
moderately firm; flavor poor; calyx close; season late; very
productive; flowers grow above the leaves; the fruit endures
transportation remarkably well; staminate. Originated with Mr. S.
Miller, of Bluffton, Mo., and is a seedling of the Wilson.
_Charles Downing_.--Plant very vigorous; foliage light green; tall and
slender; leaf-stalk downy; truss 6 to 7 inches, slender, drooping; 8 to
10 berries, which are scarlet, with a pale cheek--crimson when fully
ripe; berry round to obtuse conical; regular, the first slightly
ridged; somewhat soft; flesh juicy, light pink; flavor very fine; size
3 to 5 inches in circumference; calyx spreading and recurved; season
medium; very productive.
This is one of the best family varieties, and is planted every year
more largely for market. With care, it endures transportation very
well, and those who once taste it ask for it again. There are few, if
any other, varieties that do so well throughout the country at large.
Originated with Mr. J. S. Downer, Fairview, Ky. Staminate.
_Champion_.--Plant vigorous; foliage dark green; leafstalk downy; truss
5 to 6 inches, branched; berry dark crimson, round; flesh rather soft,
crimson; flavor very good when fully ripe, but poor when it first turns
red; size 2 1/2 to 5 inches; calyx recurved; season medium to late;
exceedingly productive. One of the best and most profitable for near
market. Originated with Dr. J. C. Neff, Carlisle, Pa. Pistillate.
_Caroline_.--Plant a moderate grower; foliage light green; leaf-stalk
somewhat downy; truss 4 to 5 inches; berry bright scarlet, with a
varnished appearance; bulky, conical; flesh scarlet; flavor good; size
3 to 4 inches; calyx spreading; season medium. Originated with J. B.
Moore, Concord, Mass. Staminate.
_Crescent Seedling_.--Plant vigorous, tall, with dark green and very
slender foliage; leaf-stalk rather smooth; truss 6 to 8 inches, well
branched; bearing 12 to 18 berries; bright scarlet berry, round to
conical, with a peculiar depression near the apex; large ones somewhat
irregular; size 2 to 4 inches; flesh scarlet; flavor not good, unless
grown on light land and the berry ripens in the sun; calyx recurved.
Soft for long carriage; but its bright color and fair size, under good
culture, cause it to sell readily in near markets. I think the public
will demand better-flavored berries. It certainly should. There are few
weeds that can compete with the Crescent in vigorous growth. It does
well in the hot climate of the South. Indeed, there are few soils so
poor and dry that it cannot thrive upon them; and, at the same time,
under high culture, with runners cut, it improves wonderfully. It has
yielded at the rate of 15,000 quarts to the acre. Originated with Mr.
William Parmelee, of New Haven, Conn., in 1870. Pistillate, or nearly
so.
_Centennial Favorite_.--Plant vigorous, tall, with light green foliage;
truss 3 to 7 inches, much branched; berry dark scarlet, round to flat,
inclined to have a neck, 2 to 4 inches; smooth and glossy in
appearance, uniform in size, flesh dark scarlet; flavor fine; calyx
spreading; season medium to late; moderately productive. Originated
with Mr. E. W. Durand, Irvington, N. J. Pistillate.
_Cinderella_.-Plant very vigorous, with light green foliage;
leaf-stalks soft, downy; truss 4 to 6 inches; berry conical, sometimes
necked, bright scarlet, glossy; flesh moderately firm, light pink;
flavor fair, but not high; size 3 to 5 inches; season early to medium;
calyx spreading.
The young plants are not very productive, but I think they would
improve greatly in this respect if the runners were cut, and that they
would bear better the second year. The berry is almost as beautiful and
attractive as the Jucanda, which it resembles somewhat; and it can be
grown on light soils, where the Jucunda cannot thrive. Originated with
Mr. Oscar Felton, of New Jersey, 1878. Staminate.
_Continental_.--Plant vigorous; leaf-stalk smooth; truss 5 to 7 inches,
well branched, bearing 12 to 18 berries; berry dark crimson, obtusely
conical; flesh firm, scarlet; flavor good; calyx recurving; season
late; moderately productive, and, under hill culture, very prolific.
Originated with Mr. Oscar Felton. Staminate.
When visiting Mr. Felton, I saw several other seedlings of great
promise, which I hope he will send out at an early date.
_Colonel Cheney_.--Plant low, spreading, vigorous, with light green
foliage; leaf-stalk downy; truss 3 to 5 inches, low, branching; berry
light scarlet, long, conical, necked; large ones very irregular; flesh
pink, watery, soft; the core tends to pull out with the hull; flavor
poor; calyx spreading; season medium to late; very productive, and Mr.
A. M. Purdy, editor "Small Fruit Recorder," writes to me that for near
markets it is still grown with great profit in western New York.
Pistillate.
_Crimson Cone_.--(Scotch Runner or Pine-apple). About fourteen years
ago, according to Mr. Fuller, there were more acres of this
old-fashioned variety cultivated for the New York market than of all
other kinds together. They were also called "Hackensacks," and were
brought in the small, handled baskets already described, and were
hulled as they were picked--their long neck making this an easy task.
They are small, regular, conical, firm, with a rich, sprightly, acid
flavor. It is not a pistillate, as many claim, Mr. Fuller asserts, but
a spurious variety, largely mixed with it, is a pistillate. It is one
of the historical strawberries, but it has had its day. In size and
flavor it is a near approach to the wild berry.
_Cumberland Triumph_.--Plant vigorous, with dark green foliage;
leaf-stalk smooth; truss 6 to 7 inches; well branched; berry round and
very uniform in shape, pale scarlet; flesh light pink, soft; very
large; size 3 to 6 inches; calyx close; season early to medium.
One of the best for family use. Under high culture, it is superb.
Originated with Mr. Amos Miller, of Carlisle, Pa. Staminate.
_Damask Beauty._--Foliage very dark green; leaf-stalk downy; truss low,
2 1/2 to 4 inches, berry very light scarlet obtusely conical; size 2 to
4 inches; flesh soft, juicy, pink; flavor fine; calyx close; season
early.
A very distinct variety, and interesting to an amateur, but of no great
value. Staminate.
_Duchesse._--Plant vigorous, tall; leaves dark green; leaf-stalk and
midrib very downy; truss 7 inches; recumbent, well branched, 6 to 8
berries that hold out well in size; berry round, bulky, very uniform,
moderately firm; bright scarlet; flesh pink, juicy; flavor fine; size 3
to 4 inches; season very early, but continuing quite long. Inclined to
stool, or make large plants from a single root; enormously productive;
from 50 to 200 berries to a plant, in hill culture. I regard it as the
best early standard berry, and have always found it one of the most
profitable for market. Originated with Mr. D. H. Barnes, of
Poughkeepsie, N. Y, Staminate.
_Duncan._--Plant vigorous; foliage light green; leaf-stalk downy; truss
5 to 7 inches; berry scarlet, round to oval, often decidedly conical;
large ones irregular, and cox-combed, flesh pink, not very firm; flavor
very good; calyx close to spreading; a productive, fine variety, that,
I am inclined to think, has not been appreciated. Originated by Mr. J.
G. Lucas, of Ulster Co., N. Y. Staminate.
_Doctor Nicaise._--A French variety; enormously large; soft; not
productive; and on my grounds wretched in flavor.
_Downer's Prolific._--A light scarlet berry; medium to large; oval,
roundish, soft; acid, but of good flavor, and perfumed like the wild
berry. Plant very vigorous and capable of enduring much neglect;
profitable for home use and near market. Originated with Mr. J. S.
Downer, of Kentucky. Staminate.
_Dr. Warder._--Plant tall, moderately vigorous; foliage light green;
leaf-stalk downy; truss 7 to 9 inches, branched, full of
different-sized berries; berry long, conical, well shouldered, crimson,
firm; flesh pink; flavor good; size 4 to 6 inches; calyx close; season
very late; burns badly, needs to be in shade. Staminate.
A superb variety if it did not lose its foliage.
_Early Hudson._--Plant very vigorous, with light green foliage;
leaf-stalk downy; truss 4 to 5 inches, strong, well branched; berry
crimson, flattish-round; when large, somewhat irregular; flesh crimson,
juicy, soft; size 3 to 5 inches; season very early; very productive.
One of the best for family use, and very productive and fine, with
runners cut. Pistillate.
_Eliza._--Plant moderately vigorous; dark green; leaf-stalk downy;
truss 3 to 5 inches, stout, branched; berry light scarlet, round to
conical, necked, large ones irregular and coxcombed; flesh firm, white;
flavor excellent; calyx close; season late; moderately productive. One
of the best foreign varieties. Staminate.
_Early Adela._--Not worth growing on my grounds.
_French's Seedling._--Plant vigorous, with light green foliage;
leaf-stalk downy; truss 5 to 7 inches; berry round, scarlet; size
medium; seeds deep-pitted; flesh pink, soft; flavor good; calyx
spreading; season early; moderately productive. Found growing wild in a
meadow, near Morristown, N. J.
_Forest Rose._--Plant moderately vigorous; foliage light green; truss 3
to 5 inches, branching; berry bright scarlet, large, and the first
somewhat irregular, 4 to 6 inches; flesh light pink; flavor very fine;
calyx spreading and recurving; season early.
One of the best where it can be grown, but in some regions the foliage
burns. Discovered growing in a vineyard, by Mr. Fetters, of Lancaster,
Ohio. Staminate.
_Frontenac._--Foliage light green; plant moderately vigorous;
leaf-stalk wiry; truss 5 inches, 6 to 8 berries; berry bright scarlet,
roundish and slightly irregular; size 2 to 3 inches; flesh pink, solid;
season late; moderately productive; the foliage is inclined to burn.
_ Glendale._--This variety is now greatly praised as a market berry.
Dr. Thurber and I examined it together, and agreed that its flavor was
only second-rate; but, as we have already seen, the public does not
discriminate very nicely on this point. It averages large, sometimes
exceeding six inches in circumference. It is long, conical, uniform in
shape, necked. The first berries are often ridged somewhat, but I have
never seen it flat or coxcombed. It has a very large calyx, is light
scarlet in flesh and color, very firm, and therefore will probably keep
and ship well, the large calyx aiding in this respect also. The plant
is vigorous and makes a long runner before the new plant forms. Leaves
large and dark green; leaf-stalk downy; truss 4 to 6 inches; season
very late. Found, by Mr. W. B. Storer, growing wild in Glendale
Cemetery, Akron, O., in 1871. Staminate. I think this berry has a
future as a market variety.
_Green Prolific._---One of the late Mr. Seth Boyden's noted varieties,
and a parent of far better berries than itself. I quote again from Mr.
Boyden's diary: "No. 5; a cross with Hovey's Seedling and Kitley's
Goliath; a large plant, and seldom injured by summer heat; very
luxuriant grower and bearer; berries above medium size and of good
quality. A pistillate."
This berry was once very popular, but has been superseded. The fruit is
very soft, and second-rate in flavor. The plant is so vigorous and
hardy that, in combination with a fine staminate, it might be the
parent of superior new varieties.
_General Sherman._--New. Described as "large, conical, regular,
brilliant scarlet; quality good; productive; early."
_Great American._--Plant but moderately vigorous; foliage dark green;
leaf-stalks downy; truss 4 to 7 inches; berry dark crimson, round to
conical; under poor culture, 2 to 3 inches in size, but sometimes very
large, 10 to 12 inches; flesh pink; flavor only fair; season late;
unproductive, unless just suited in soil and treatment. In most
localities, the foliage burns or scalds in the sun, and also seems just
adapted to the taste of the flea-beetle and other insects. Originated
with Mr. E. W. Durand, and under his exceedingly high culture and
skilful management it yielded immense crops of enormous berries that
sold as high as a dollar per quart; but throughout the country at
large, with a few exceptions, it seems to have been a melancholy
failure From this variety was produced a berry measuring over fourteen
inches in circumference--probably the largest strawberry ever grown.
Staminate.
_Golden Defiance._--Plant tall, very vigorous, somewhat slender, light
green; leaf-stalk moderately downy; truss 5 to 7 inches, 12 to 20
berries, well clustered--all the berries developing to a good size;
berry dark scarlet, obtusely conical, smooth, sometimes necked, very
uniform, 3 to 5 inches; flesh scarlet, quite firm, juicy; flavor very
fine; calyx spreading and recurving; season late.
For three successive years this has been the best late berry on my
place, and one of the most beautiful. Unless it changes its character,
it will win its way to the front rank in popularity. If its runners are
cut, it is exceedingly productive of fruit that is as fine-flavored as
showy. Pistillate. Originated with Mr. Amos Miller, of Pennsylvania.
_Glossy Gone._--One of Mr. E. W. Durand's seedlings. A pretty berry,
with a varnished appearance, but neither productive nor vigorous on my
grounds, thus far. New.
_Helen._--New. Plant tall, vigorous, with dark green foliage, very
downy; truss 5 to 7 inches, branched; berry light scarlet, flat,
conical; flesh white, firm; flavor fine; calyx close; season late. I
fear the foliage is inclined to burn badly. Staminate.
_Hervey Davis._-New Plant tall, rather vigorous, with light green
foliage; leaf-stalk smooth, except when young; truss 5 to 6 inches;
berry bright scarlet, shouldered, obtusely conical, glossy; flesh very
light pink, firm; flavor good; calyx close; season medium; productive.
It has seemed to me the most promising of Mr. J. B. Moore's seedlings.
The berry resembles the Jucunda somewhat. Staminate.
_Hovey's Seedling._--One of the most famous of the historical berries,
and still raised quite largely around Boston. It was originated by Mr.
C. M. Hovey, and was first fruited in 1835. Its introduction made a
great sensation in the fruit world, and the fact of its being a
pistillate gave rise to no end of discussion. Many who first bought it
set it out by itself, and of course it bore no fruit; therefore they
condemned it. When its need of fertilization was understood, many used
wild plants from the woods for this purpose, and then found it to be
the largest and most productive strawberry in cultivation at that
period. Such large crops were often raised that the theory was advanced
by many that pistillates as a class would be more productive than
staminates, and horticulturists became as controversial as the most
zealous of theologians. The berry and the vexed questions that it
raised have both ceased to occupy general attention, but many of the
new varieties heralded to-day are not equal to this old-fashioned sort.
Mr. Downing thus describes it: "The vines are vigorous and hardy,
producing moderately large crops, and the fruit is always of the
largest size and finely flavored; the leaves are large, rather light
green, and the fruit-stalks long and erect; fruit roundish-oval and
slightly conical, deep shining, scarlet, seeds slightly imbedded; flesh
firm; season about medium."
_Huddleston's Favorite._--New. Thus described by E. Y. Teas, of
Dunreith, Ind.: "A vigorous grower, with large, glossy foliage, that
stands the sun well; berries of the largest size, round, with small
calyx, of a bright, glossy, crimson color, ripening evenly, firm, with
a rich, spicy flavor; late; very beautiful in appearance."
_Jucunda._--A slow rather than feeble grower, on heavy soils; light
green foliage; leaf-stalk smooth; truss 5 to 7 inches; berry
high-shouldered, conical, of a bright, glossy crimson, very showy;
flesh scarlet, firm; flavor fair and good when fully ripe; calyx close;
season late.
I am indebted to Dr. Hexamer for the following history: "The late Rev.
Mr. J. Knox, of Pittsburgh, told me that in a bed of what he received
as Bonte de St. Julien, he found a number of plants that seemed to him
a new variety. Supposing them to be a new and very desirable seedling,
he separated them from the others and propagated them under the name of
'700.' Before he offered them for sale he discovered that they were
identical with the Jucunda, and when they were brought out, in 1865, it
was under the true name, Jucunda (Knox's 700)." One authority states
that it originated in England, with a Mr. Salter; another says that it
was imported from Belgium. This is of little consequence compared with
the fact that it is the finest foreign berry we have, on _heavy_ soils.
I do not recommend it for light land, unless the runners are cut and
high culture is given. Mr. M. Crawford, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, makes
the interesting statement that Mr. Knox "sold over two hundred bushels
of this variety in one day, at $16 per bushel." It has always been one
of the most profitable on my heavy land. The young plants are small and
feeble. Staminate.
_Kentucky Seedling._--Plant tall, vigorous, but slender and apt to
fall; light green foliage; truss 8 to 10 inches, with 8 to 10 berries;
berry scarlet, conical, high-shouldered, somewhat flattened at the tip,
regular in shape and uniform in size, a little rough, knobby, with
seeds set in deep pits; flesh but moderately firm, and very white;
flavor of the best; calyx spreading and recurving; season late and
long-continued; very productive--one of the very best; size 3 to 4 1/2
inches. It succeeds well on light soils and under the Southern sun, and
improves wonderfully under hill culture. Staminate. Originated by Mr.
J. S. Downer, of Kentucky.
_Lady of the Lake._--Plant tall, vigorous, dark green foliage;
leaf-stalk downy; truss 7 to 8 inches; berry crimson, conical necked;
flesh pink, firm; flavor good, but rather dry; size moderate; calyx
spreading; season medium; productive. Staminate.
It has been, and is still, a favorite with the market-men around
Boston. Originated by a Mr. Scott, in Brighton, Mass.
_La Constant._--One of the most beautiful of the foreign berries; flesh
rosy white, sweet, juicy, very firm, and of exquisite flavor. The
plants are dwarf and compact, and they require the highest culture.
Even then the crop is uncertain; for the variety, like high-born
beauty, is very capricious; but its smiles, in the way of fruit, are
such as to delight the most fastidious of amateurs. Originated by De
Jonghe. Staminate. It is one of the favorite varieties abroad for
forcing.
_Lady's Finger._--An old variety, now not often seen. Conical, and very
elongated, and of a brilliant, dark scarlet color. It was once popular,
but has been superseded.
_Lennig's White_ (White Pine-apple).--This is not strictly a white
berry, for it has a delicate flush if exposed to the sun. The flesh is
pure white, juicy, melting, sweet and delicious in flavor, and so
aromatic that one berry will perfume a large apartment. The plant is
vigorous and hardy, but a shy bearer. Hill culture and clipped runners
are essential to fruit, but, for a connoisseur's table, a quart is
worth a bushel of some varieties. It is the best white variety, and
evidently a seedling of the _F. Chilensis._ It originated in the garden
of Mr. Lennig, of Germantown, Pa. Staminate.
_Laurel Leaf._--New. Plant moderately vigorous; foliage dark green;
leaf-stalk quite smooth; truss 3 to 5 inches, low, stocky; berry very
light scarlet; round to conical, short neck; flesh soft, light pink;
size moderate; flavor good; calyx close. Originated with Mr. A. N.
Jones, Le Roy, N. Y. Staminate.
_Longworth's Prolific._--An old variety, that is passing out of
cultivation; still grown quite extensively in California. It is a
large, roundish-oval berry of good flavor. The plant is said to be
vigorous and productive. Originated on the grounds of the late Mr. N.
Longworth of Cincinnati.
_Longfellow._--New. Described as very large, elongated, conical,
occasionally irregular; color dark red, glossy and beautiful; flesh
firm, sweet, and rich; plant vigorous with dark green, healthy foliage,
not liable to burn in the sun; very productive, continuing long in
bearing, and of large size to the last. Originated with Mr. A. D. Webb,
Bowling Green, Ky.
_Marvin._-This new berry is already exciting much attention, and I am
glad that I can give a description from so careful and eminent a
horticulturist as Mr. T. T. Lyon, President Michigan State Pomological
Society: "From notes taken at the ripening of the fruit: 'Plant
vigorous, very stocky, of rather low growth, bearing a fine crop for
young plants; foliage nearly round, thick in substance, flat or cupped;
serratures broad and shallow; fruit large to very large, longish
conical; large specimens often coxcombed; bright crimson; began to
color June 16, and the first ripe berries were gathered on the 20th;
stems of medium height--strong; flesh light crimson; whitish at the
centre, firm and juicy; flavor high, rich, fine, with a very pleasant
aroma; seeds prominent; greenish brown. We regard this as a highly
promising, very large, late variety, and especially so for market
purposes. Staminate.'"
Originated with Mr. Harry Marvin, Ovid, Mich., and said to be from the
Wilson and Jucunda--an excellent parentage.
_Miner's Great Prolific._--Plant vigorous; leaves light green, smooth;
leaf-stalk downy; truss six inches, well branched, slender, drooping;
berry deep crimson, round and bulky, regular shouldered; tip green when
half-ripe; flesh pink, moderately firm; flavor good; calyx spreading;
size four to five inches; season medium to late. The berry holds out
well in size, and resembles the Charles Downing somewhat, but averages
larger. It has seemed to me as promising a new variety as the
Sharpless. I believe it has a long future. Originated with late T. B.
Miner in 1877. Staminate.
_Monarch of the West._--Plant very vigorous; leaves light, when young,
and later of a golden green, somewhat smooth; truss six inches; four to
eight berries; berry often of a carpet-bag shape, square shouldered,
and sometimes coxcombed, large, magnificent; pale scarlet; flesh light
pink, tender; flavor very fine; calyx spreading and recurving; tip of
berry green when not fully ripe, but it colors evenly if given time.
When flavor is the gauge of excellence in the market, this famous berry
will be in the front rank. Its color and softness are against it, but
its superb size, deliciousness and aroma should make it eagerly sought
after by all who want a genuine strawberry. In the open market, it
already often brings double the price of Wilsons. In the home garden,
it has few equals. With some exceptions, it does well from Maine to
California. The narrow row culture greatly increases its size and
productiveness. I have had many crates picked in which there were few
berries that did not average five inches in circumference. Mr. Jesse
Brady, of Plano, Illinois, gives me the following history: "The Monarch
was raised by me in 1867, from one of a number of seedlings, grown
previously, and crossed with Boyden's Green Prolific. The said seedling
was never introduced to the public. I raised fourteen, and cultivated
three of them several years. They were produced from an English berry,
name unknown to me."
_Martha._--A fine, large berry, but, as I have seen it, the foliage
burns so badly that I think it will pass out of cultivation unless it
improves in this respect. Staminate.
_Neunan's Prolific_ (Charleston Berry).--Foliage tall, slender, dark
green; fruit-stalk tall; berries light scarlet, inclined to have a neck
at the North, not so much so at the South. First berries large,
obtusely conical; the latter and smaller berries becoming round; calyx
very large and drooping over the berry; exceedingly firm--hard,
indeed--and sour when first red; but growing richer and better in
flavor in full maturity; usually a vigorous grower. It was originated
by a Mr. Neunan, of Charleston, S. C., and scarcely any other variety
is grown in that great strawberry centre.
_Napoleon III._--A very large foreign berry, often flattened and
coxcombed. I found that its foliage burned so badly I could not grow
it. Mr. P. Barry describes the plant as "rarely vigorous, and bearing
only a few large, beautiful berries."
_New Jersey Scarlet._--An old-fashioned market berry that succeeded
well on the light soils of New Jersey. Once popular, but not much grown
now, I think. Mr. Downing describes it as medium in size, conical, with
a neck; light, clear scarlet; moderately firm, juicy, sprightly.
Staminate.
_Nicanor._--A seeding of the Triomphe de Gand, that originated on the
grounds of Messrs. Ellwanger & Barry, and is described by Mr. Barry as
"hardy, vigorous, productive, early, and continuing in bearing a long
time; fruit moderately large; uniform, roundish, conical; bright
scarlet; flesh reddish, rather firm, juicy, sweet; of fine flavor." I
found that it required heavy soil, high culture, with clipped runners,
to produce, on my place, fruit large enough to be of value. The fruit
ripened very early and was of excellent flavor. Staminate.
_New Dominion._--Described by Mr. Crawford, as "very large, roundish,
uniform in size and shape; bright red; glossy, firm, of good flavor,
and productive; season medium." I have seen it looking poorly on light
soil. Originated with Mr. C. N. Biggar, on the battlefield of Lundy's
Lane.
_Oliver Goldsmith._--New; a very vigorous grower, bearing a long,
conical berry with a glazed neck. Untested, but very promising.
Staminate.
_President Lincoln._--Plant moderately vigorous; foliage light green;
truss 5 to 6 inches, strong; berry crimson, conical; often long with a
neck; the first large berries are coxcombed and very irregular; flesh
firm, scarlet; flavor of the very best; size 3 to 6 inches; calyx close
to spreading. One of the best varieties for an amateur. Among them
often, without any apparent cause, are found small bushy plants with
smaller leaves, and berries full of "fingers and toes." These should be
pulled out. The variety evidently contains much foreign blood, but is
one of the best of the class. The berries almost rival the Sharpless in
size, and are better in flavor, but the plant is not so good a grower.
Specimens have been picked measuring over eleven inches in
circumference. It is said to have originated with a Mr. Smith, of New
York City, in 1875. Staminate.
_President Wilder._--In the estimation of many good judges, this is the
most beautiful and best-flavored strawberry in existence--an opinion in
which I coincide. It has always done well with me, and I have seen it
thriving in many localities. It is so fine, however, that it deserves
all the attention that it requires. It is a hybrid of the La Constant
and Hovey's Seedling, and unites the good qualities of both, having
much the appearance of the beautiful foreign berry, and the hardy,
sun-resisting foliage of Hovey's Seedling. It has a suggestion of the
musky, Hautbois flavor, when fully ripe, and is of a bright scarlet
color, deepening into crimson in maturity. Flesh quite firm, rosy
white, juicy, very rich and delicious. The berry is diamond-shaped,
obtusely conical, very regular and uniform; seeds yellow and near the
surface. The plant is low, compact, rather dwarf, the young plants
quite small, but the foliage endures the sun well, even in the far
South. The plants are more productive the second year of bearing than
in the first. Young plants often do not form fruit buds. Mr. Merrick
states that it "originated with President Wilder, in 1861, and was
selected as the best result obtained from many thousand seedlings in
thirty years of continual experimenting." Staminate.
_Pioneer._--Plant vigorous; foliage light green, tall; leaf-stalk
downy; truss 5 to 7 inches; berry scarlet, necked, dry, sweet,
perfumed; flesh pink, only moderately firm; flavor of the best; calyx
close to spreading; season early. This seems to me the best of all Mr.
Durand's new varieties that I have seen, and it is very good indeed.
The foliage dies down during the winter, but the root sends up a new,
strong growth, which, I fear, will burn in the South and on light
soils. Staminate.
_Prouty's Seedling._--Plant not very vigorous; leaf-stalk very smooth;
truss 3 to 5 inches; berry bright scarlet, glossy, very long conical;
flesh pink, firm; flavor fair; calyx close. Very productive, but the
plant does not seem vigorous enough to mature the enormous quantity of
fruit that forms. With high culture on heavy soil, I think it might be
made very profitable. Staminate.
_Panic._--Mr. W. H. Coleman, of Geneva, writes me that this variety
promises remarkably well in his region, but on my ground it burns so
badly as to be valueless. It is a long, conical berry, very firm and of
good flavor. Staminate.
_Red Jacket._--Early, high-flavored, with a rich subacid, suggesting
the wild berry in taste and aroma; of good size, round, dark crimson.
Plant vigorous; a promising new variety. Staminate.
_Russell's Advance._--A fine-flavored, early variety, but the plant
proves not sufficiently vigorous and productive to compete with other
early berries already described. Staminate.
_Russell's Prolific._--A fine, large berry, deservedly popular a few
years since. It has yielded splendid fruit on my grounds, but it seems
to have proved so uncertain over the country at large as to have passed
out of general favor. It is rather soft for market and not
high-flavored enough for a first-class berry. Pistillate.
_Romeyn's Seedling._--I cannot distinguish it from the Triomphe de
Gand. Staminate.
_Sharpless._--A very strong, upright grower, with large, crinkled
foliage; truss 5 to 8 inches, strong branched; 6 to 10 large berries
often on each; berry carpet-bag in shape, and often very irregular and
flattened, but growing more uniform as they diminish in size; light red
and glossy, 5 to 7 inches; flesh firm, light pink; flavor fine, sweet,
perfumed; calyx recurving; season medium. One of the very best if it
proves sufficiently productive over the country at large.
Mr. J. K. Sharpless kindly writes me: "I have been much interested in
growing strawberries for the last fifteen years, and after being
disappointed in many of the new and highly praised varieties, the idea
occurred to me that a seedling originating in our own soil and climate
might prove more hardy and long-lived. Having saved a fine berry of
each of the following varieties--the Wilson, Colonel Cheney, Jucunda,
and Charles Downing--I planted their seeds in a box in March, 1872. The
box was kept in the house (probably by a warm south window), and in May
I set from this box about 100 plants in the garden, giving partial
shade and frequently watering, By fall, nearly all were fine plants. I
then took them up and set them out in a row one foot apart, protecting
them slightly during the winter, and the next season nearly all bore
some fruit, the Sharpless four or five fine berries. It was the most
interesting employment of my life to grow and watch those seedlings.
Some of the others bore fine, large berries, but I eventually came to
the conclusion that the Sharpless was the only one worthy of
cultivation." I am inclined to think that the Jucunda and Colonel
Cheney formed the combination producing this berry. It is now in
enormous demand, and if it gives satisfaction throughout the country
generally, its popularity will continue. It is peculiarly adapted to
hill culture, and the plant is so vigorous that it would develop into
quite a bush on rich, moist land, with its runners clipped. Staminate.
_Seneca Chief._--Plant vigorous and productive; large, downy leaf;
truss low; berry bright scarlet, glossy, occasionally a little
wedge-shaped; round to conical, shouldered; flesh firm, pink; seeds
yellow and brown; flavor fine, rich subacid; season medium; size 3 to 5
inches; calyx close; a fine berry, originated by Messrs. Hunt & Foote,
Waterloo, N. Y. Staminate.
_Seneca Queen._--Plant vigorous, foliage dark green; leaf-stalk
moderately downy; truss 3 to 5 inches; berry dark crimson, round; flesh
red; flavor fair; size 3 to 5 inches; calyx close; season medium;
productive; a promising variety. Staminate.
_Springdale._--Plant low, stocky; leaf-stalk downy; leaf broad and
smooth; truss 3 to 4 inches; berry bright scarlet, round, broader than
long, 3 to 5 inches; flesh light pink, juicy, rather soft; flavor very
good; calyx close; season early to medium. Originated by Amos Miller,
of Pennsylvania. Pistillate.
_Sucker State._--Plant seems vigorous; foliage dark green; leaf-stalk
downy; berry light scarlet; flesh pink, juicy, firm. A new and
promising variety. Staminate.
_Stirling._--Only moderately vigorous; foliage low, light green;
leaf-stalk downy; truss 3 to 5 inches, well branched; berry crimson,
ovate, very uniform, somewhat necked; moderate-sized, 2 to 3 inches;
flesh pink, very firm; flavor of the best; calyx close to spreading;
season medium to late. The foliage burns so badly in most localities
that this variety will pass out of cultivation. Pistillate.
_Triomphe de Gand._--Plant light green; leaf-stalk and blade unusually
smooth, truss 4 to 5 inches, berry, the average ones, round to conical,
large ones irregular and coxcombed; light scarlet; glossy; flesh pink,
juicy, and solid; flavor of the best; calyx close; size 3 1/2 to 5
inches; season long; rather feeble grower, and comes slowly to
maturity. Admirably adapted to the narrow row system, and on heavy
soils can be kept in bearing five or six years, if the runners are cut
regularly. If I were restricted to one strawberry on a heavy, loamy
soil, the Triomphe would be my choice, since, on moist land with high
culture, it will continue six weeks in bearing, giving delicious fruit.
When well grown, it commands the highest price in market. It is
probably the best foreign variety we have, and is peculiarly adapted to
forcing. It is said to be a Belgian variety. Staminate. The
old-fashioned belief that strawberries thrived best on light soils
caused this superb berry to be discarded; but it was introduced again
by Mr. Knox, who proved, by a very profitable experience, that heavy
land is the best for many of our finest varieties.
_Triple Crown_.--Plant tall, slender; foliage light green; leaf-stalk
wiry, smooth; truss 5 to 6 inches; berry dark crimson, conical; when
large, irregular, with a glazed neck; flesh crimson, remarkably firm;
flavor rich and fine; size 3 to 4 inches; season medium; very
productive. One of the best, and I think the firmest strawberry in
existence. I may be mistaken, but I think this berry will become
exceedingly popular when it becomes better known. I am testing it on
various soils. For canning and shipping qualities, it has no equal, and
though so exceedingly firm, is still rich and juicy when fully ripe.
Originated by Mr. Wm. Hunt, of Waterloo, N. Y. Staminate.
_Warren_.--Described as very large, roundish, conical; very regular in
shape and size; color dark red, ripening evenly; flesh firm and of good
quality. Plant a luxuriant grower and a good bearer. New and untested.
Originated by Mr. A. S. Webb, Bowling Green, Ky.
_Wilding_.--Plant tall, vigorous; foliage dark green; leaf-stalk downy;
truss 6 to 8 inches; well branched; 10 to 12 berries; ripe fruit and
blossoms on the same stalk; berry crimson, high-shouldered, round to
conical; size 3 to 5 inches; flesh moderately firm, pink; flavor good.
New and very promising. Originated by Mr. A. N. Jones, Le Roy, N. Y.
Staminate.
_Wielandy_.--Plant vigorous, with dark green, very glossy foliage;
leaf-stalk downy; truss low; berry bright scarlet, round to conical;
flesh pink, soft; flavor fine; size 2 to 3 inches; season medium. New
and untested, but of good promise for the home garden. Staminate.
_Windsor Chief._--Said to have been originated by Mr. C. A. Gardner, of
Eaton County, Michigan, and to be a cross between the Champion and
Charles Downing. The plants that I obtained from Mr. Gardner resemble
the Champion so closely, both in foliage and fruit, that I cannot yet
distinguish between the mother and daughter. This year I shall fruit
both in perfection, and fear that I shall have to record a distinction
without a difference. I hope I may be mistaken. All that is claimed for
the Windsor Chief is true if it is as good as the Champion, a variety
that I have ever found one of the most profitable on my place.
Pistillate.
ALPINE STRAWBERKIES
_Alpines, White and Red._--These are the _Fragaria Vesca_, the
strawberries of the ancients, and well worthy of a place in our gardens
to-day. As I have already stated, they are one of the most widely
spread fruits in the world; for while they take their name from the
Alps, there are few mountains, where the temperature is sufficiently
cool, on which they are not found, either in this country or abroad. In
the high latitudes they descend into the fields, and grow wild
everywhere. The berries are conical, medium to small in size, and the
fruit-stalks rise above the leaves. In flavor they are good, very
delicate, but not rich. The plants are very hardy, and moderately
productive. Grown from the seed they reproduce themselves with almost
unvarying similarity, but the young seedlings produce larger berries
than the older plants. The foliage of the White variety is of a lighter
green than that of the Red, but in other respects there are no material
differences, except in the color.
_White and Red Monthly Alpines._--Varieties similar to the above, with
the exception that they bear continuously through the summer and fall,
if moisture is maintained and high culture given. If much fruit is
desired, all runners should be cut, and the ground made rich. We are
often misled by synonymes of these old varieties, as, for instance, Des
Quatre Saisons, Mexican Everbearing, Gallande, etc. They are all said
to be identical with the common monthly Alpines.
_White and Red Bush Alpines_.--A distinct class that produces no
runners, but are propagated by dividing the roots. In other respects
the plant and fruit are similar to the common Alpines. No matter how
small the division, if a little root is attached, it will grow readily.
They make pretty and useful edgings for garden walks, and with good
culture bear considerable fruit, especially in the cool, moist months
of autumn. Because, throwing out no runners, they give very little
trouble, and I have ever found them the most satisfactory of the
monthly strawberries. I see no reason why a good demand for them, as a
fancy fruit, could not be created. Be this as it may, there are many
who are sufficiently civilized to consider the home market first; and a
dainty dish of strawberries on an October evening, and a wood-fire
blazing on the hearth, form a combination that might reconcile
misanthropy to the "ills of life." Mr. Downing states that the Bush
Alpines were first brought to this country by the late Andrew
Parmentier, of Brooklyn.
_Wood Strawberries, White and Red_.--These are the English phases of
the Alpine, or _F. Vesca_ species. Their fruit is not so conical as the
Alpine of the Continent, or our own land, but is "roundish ovate." They
are said to be rather more productive, but I doubt whether they differ
materially from the other Alpines, except in form. They are the
strawberries that our British forefathers ate, and are the same that
the Bishop of Ely brought to the bloody Protector from his "gardayne in
Holberne."
_Montreuil_.--Said to be an improved variety of the Alpines.
_Green Alpine_ (Green Pine or Wood, _Fraisier Vert_).--"This variety
was, by some, supposed to be a distinct species, but the appearance of
the plant and fruit shows it to be a true Alpine. Berry small,
roundish, depressed, greenish brown; flesh green, with a somewhat musky
flavor." (Fuller.) Mr. Downing says the berry is tinged with reddish
brown on the sunny side at maturity, and that it has a peculiar, rich,
pine-apple flavor.
Under the head of Alpines, one finds in the catalogues a bewildering
array of names, especially in those printed abroad; but I am quite well
satisfied that if all these named varieties were placed in a trial bed,
and treated precisely alike, the differences between them, in most
instances, would be found slight indeed, too slight to warrant a name
and separate existence.
HAUTBOIS STRAWBERRIES--FRAGARIA ELATIOR
As far as I can learn, this class was more raised in former years than
at present, both here and abroad. At any rate, the musky flavor of the
"Hoboys" (as the term was often spelled in rural regions) has not won
favor, and I rarely meet with them in cultivation. They are well worth
a little space in the garden, however, and are well suited to some
tastes. _Belle de Bordelaise_ is said to be the best variety. The berry
is described by Mr. Fuller, as "roundish oval, dark, brownish purple;
flesh white, juicy, sweet, with a strong, musky flavor."
_Common Hautbois._--Fruit medium in size, reddish green, musky. The
fruit-stalks rise above the leaves--hence the term _Hautbois_, or high
wood. Not worthy of cultivation.
_Prolific Hautbois_--(Double bearing, and having many other
synonymes).--Mr. Downing speaks highly of this variety, saying that it
is distinguished by its "strong habit, and very large and usually
perfect flowers borne high above the leaves. The fruit is very large
and fine; dark colored, with a peculiarly rich, slightly musky flavor."
Productive.
_Royal Hautbois._--Said to be one of the largest, most vigorous, and
productive of this class.
Mr. Merrick writes that the _Hautbois_ strawberries find few admirers
in the vicinity of Boston, and seem equally neglected abroad.
I am gathering these and the Alpines into trial-beds, and thus hope to
learn more accurately their differences, characteristics and
comparative values.
_Chili_ strawberries are now rarely met with in cultivation. Mr.
Merrick writes of them: "Although some of them are extolled for amateur
culture, they are of little value. They are large, coarse, very apt to
be hollow, with soft, poor-flavored flesh. They have been so thoroughly
intermingled with other species that it is difficult to say of certain
named kinds that they are or are not partly Chilis." True Chili,
Wilmot's Superb, and the Yellow Chili are named as the best of the
class.
There are very many other named strawberries that I might describe, and
a few of them may become popular. Some that I have named are scarcely
worth the space, and will soon be forgotten. In my next revision, I
expect to drop not a few of them. It should be our constant aim to
shorten our catalogues of fruits rather than lengthen them, to the
bewilderment and loss of all save the plant grower. The Duchess, for
instance, is a first-class early berry. All others having the same
general characteristics and adapted to the same soils, but which are
inferior to it, should be discarded. What is the use of raising second,
third, and fourth rate berries of the same class? Where distinctions
are so slight as to puzzle an expert, they should be ignored, and the
best variety of the class preserved.
I refer those readers who would like to see a list of almost every
strawberry named in modern times, native and foreign,
to Mr. J. M. Merrick's work, "The Strawberry and its Culture."