The past season has been a very unfavorable one for judging the
comparative merits of strawberries, the earlier varieties having been
much injured by the frost, and the later ones not entirely escaped. The
following is a list of varieties I have fruited this summer, and the
time of ripening:
Smith’s Early, (a seedling of my own,) ripened June 1st. Specimens of
this variety were nearly half grown when the frost came, which were of
course destroyed, and only a few berries that were protected by the
foliage escaped and ripened, consequently there was not half a crop.
Nicanor, ripe June 3rd, very much injured, about half a crop. Wilson’s
Albany ripened June 6th, about half a crop. Cumberland Triumph; this is
a variety with very dense, heavy foliage, which protected the blossoms
from frost, ripening with Wilson, and was the most productive berry I
had; it is a large scarlet fruit, much resembling the New Dominion, only
a little lighter in color, of fair quality, though a little too soft for
shipping a great distance. Arnold’s No. 40 ripened about with the
Wilson, a good sized, light colored, cocks-comb shaped berry, very good
flavored, but soft. Charles Downing ripened 8th of June, a very light
crop. Green Prolific ripened 10th of June; this being a variety of heavy
foliage, it escaped the frost more than some others, was a fair crop.
Lennig’s White ripened 10th June, a light crop of soft white berries, of
very delicate flavor. Sterling ripened June 10th; this is a new, fair
sized, dark, rich looking berry, very fine flavored, but few of them.
Monarch of the West was ripe on the 12th of June; this is a large,
productive berry, of very good flavor, and would be valuable but for the
peculiarity of not ripening, or rather not perfecting its fruit, the
tips of the berries being green. Great American ripened about the 12th
of June; this I should regard as a very promising variety, berries
large, of a dark-red color, good flavored, and productive. Col. Cheney
ripened June 12th; this berry on my ground is a failure, it sets full,
and I get a few large berries, but the majority are small, ragged
things. Jucunda was ripe June 12th, very light crop. Triomph de Gand
ripened June 12th, and was about half a crop. Late Cone ripe June 13;
this is a beautiful, dark, cone-shaped berry, very fine flavored, and
yielded a fair crop. The New Dominion ripened about the 14th of June,
and though the blossoms were not apparently much injured by the frost,
my crop was not up to its former productiveness on account of a kind of
rust which affected both the foliage and fruit, though some parties
within a few miles of me had magnificent crops of fine large berries.
Kentucky ripened June 15th, as usual with me a light crop, of very good,
late berries.
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