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.