, 1864-04-23
The Strawberry.

seedlings may have come into notice within
hat time, of such excellence as to be wor.
by to supplant some Of the old varieties,
hough acknowledged to be good. Ten
! ears ago We wanted the best strawberry
.hen known; to-day we want the best now
known; ten years hence we shall want the
best that will then be known.
The strawberry is capable Of indefinite
Improvement. Improvement is slow but
sure. 1t is slow, because great majority
of even the best directed efforts at i'm
provement will be failures. Thus, if you
plant o gill of the seeds of the best straw
berry in existence you will be likely to get
as many as one thousand distinct varieties
of seedlings; but the probability is that
nine hundred and ninety would prove, after
three or four years careful attention, ell
tirely unworthy Of cultivation: six or seven
may be good, two or three may be equal to
the parent stock, and possibly one or two
may be decidedly better than anything yet
known. If so, you will have won; il not,
you may try again. This shows why pro.
gress must necessarily be slow.
But whoever brings out strawberry
Seeding comprising more good qualities
than any yet known is sure Of rich re-
ward, in both honor and profit; thousands
Of skilled hvrticuturists are at work for
the prize: and although, in this as in lot
teries, there are thousands Of blanks to one
prize, yet prize is there, and somebody
will draw it. Possibly it may have cost
the successful competitor more than it will
be worth to him, but certainly not as much
US it will be worth to the world. All the
past improvements in the strawberry make
it certain that improvements will yet be
made. Progress. therefore, though slow,
is sure. The Creator has made the straw.
berry susceptible Of countless ariations.
To suppose that all the possible variations
have yet been developed would be absurd.
To supp se that you have the best posi-
BILE variety, and SO to close the gate against
efforts at improvement, would be at least
unwise.
To decide Er the millions who are just
discovering that the cultivation Of straw,
berries is richly worth their attention,
would be task which must be lef to 9th.
ers. And when doctors disagaee, what
then? Why. the disciples M st learn what
tn y can from SO many varying opinions,
and then 60 to work and learn more by
their own experience. Mr.. Pardee, in his
manual on straw wberry culture, recommend
ed as the six best varieties: l, McAvoy's
Superior; 2, Hovcy's Seeding; 3, Monroe
Scarlet; A, Bu-r's New Pine; 5, Long
worth's Prolific; 9, Walkers Seeding.
At the same time, perhaps ten years
since, Mr.. Pardee recommended, as the
next twelve best, McASoy's Extra Red,
Jenny's Seeding, commonly called the
Jenny Lind; Moyamensing Pine, Large
Early Scarlet, Crimson Cone, Iowa, Rival
Hudson, Genesee Seedlings, Willy, Prin-
cess Alice Maud, Boston Pine and Black
Prince.
Alta later date, in his preface to the
sixth edition Of the "Strawberry Manual"
Mr.. Pardee gives the following as what he
esteemed the six best: Wilson's Albany
Seeding, Hooker's Seeding, Jenny Lind,
Hovey's Serdling, l. ngworth's Prolific,
Walkers Seeding.
It should not bc inferred, from The old
and the later lists BY Mr.. Pardee differing
somewhat, that he wrUte unadvisedly in ei
ther case. The world moves, AID 50 does
the strawberry culture; and the best read
man on the subject has q right to modify
bis opinion as often as once 10 hve years,
for within that time new varieties are intro.
duced, and In soine casts old ones have
ceased to do as well as they had done.
In 1859 the question Of varieties was
largely aud ably discussed In the American
Institute Farmers Club 10 New York. A
COMMITTEES was appointed 70 discuss the
subject further, and report list OF six va
rieties--the best, 10 their Judgment. for
general cultivation. After fall consultation
that commltte reported, and tho club adopt
ed the report as follows:
]. Wilson's Albany-Forits productive
ness, size and firm juicy flesh. Rather too
2. Loneworth's Proliic-Early, large.
Of excellent favor; only moderately pro.
ductiye; sometimes running TO Ie,ves.
Hopker-Good size, Of rich, sweet
favor; moderately productive.
4. McAvoy's So erior-Productiye.
large and Of excellent favor.
Hoyey's Seedling-Too well known TO