Glad to hear you are enjoying some of the older American varieties. I grew out a bunch of them several years ago and was quite impressed with the flavor. I didn't pick Aberdeen as I went by Darrow's recommendations primarily and he considered it more an historical variety. I think it faded because it was too soft for shipping. It is still available here from the ARS.

Scott

I have taken your advice and sent in a request from ARS.

I also had this one Marshall from pre 1900, was quite nice but not as nice as the Aberdeen

Speaking of old american strawberries, and the english, when they first came to new england they recount seeing wild strawberries as large as three inches across. Can you imagine? I live in the region of the first English settlement, and I can report that now a wild strawberry of a half-inch would be immense.

What a statement about soil degradation over four centuries.

Great story I have some old strawberry books which mentions such accounts, I often think if that would of been me coming across 3" strawberries upon landing I don't think I would of got much further, i wonder what species they were a chiloensis? virginiana? a natural hybrid?

I have read about Europeans coming ashore in south Americas coming across huge chiloensis strawberries the size of chicken eggs, I struggle to get to get my chiloensis to normal size strawberries and my fragaria virginiana are not much bigger than thumb nail if im lucky,
stew

I bet those 3" strawberries were only in the heads of the writers. If you read the full accounts you will see lots of hyperbole.

Stew, my favorite of the old American berries I tried was Suwannee. It was also one of Darrow's favorites.

Scott

ha ha yes Scott, I think a bit of poetic license went on like catching a fish... it was this big... hand slowly move apart bigger than the actual real fish,

unfortunately the older American types are very rare here, the newer American and candian types are slowly coming available I,ve never tried the Suwannee, I believe the flavour was 10/10 must have an amazing flavour,
ive been told and have read about Pochahontas, Sparkle, Fairfax, Albritton and midland for flavour but again impossible to find this side of the pond, I have the Blakemore which was rated 7/10 for flavour
Stew

A nice article on Louisiana heritage strawberries.

Here is a link that might be useful: Louisiana strawberries