68 American JIurticuliural Society. 



we may gather from the experience of growers more light on this subject. 

 Tliis question of inlluence of the pollen of one variety upon another is an 

 important one ; that is, if a pistillate variety can be increased in size, im- 

 proved in flavor, firmness, and other desirable qualities, it is important that 

 we should know it. Until within a few years each variety of strawberry was 

 supposed to have its special characteristics, as form, color, etc. But now we 

 hear growers s]jeak of i)istillate sorts (the Crescent, for instance) as being of 

 large size when fertilized by the Sharpless, dark colored and tirm when fer- 

 tilized by the Wilson, and so on. Now I take the position, Mr. President, 

 (though I am aware that many old, experienced growers hold to opinions on 

 this subject contrary to mine, and I admit that some experiments made in 

 this direction, notably those by Prof. Ijazenby,are rather convincing), that a 

 pistillate variety is not changed to any perceptible degree by the pollen of 

 another variety. 



Now, it is a well known fa-t that any variety will vary when planted on 

 diti'erent soils and in different localities; that is, will not give the same re- 

 sults everywhere. As, for instance, the Crescent as grown in Southern Illi- 

 nois is not as firm nor as dark colored as the Crescents grown in We.-t 

 Tennessee. The color and firmness of the West Tennessee Crescents so 

 nearly resemble that of the Wilson that they are often sold in the markets 

 for the Wilson, and some of our growers claim that this has been brought 

 about by the influence of the Wilson. Now, if Southern Illinois growers 

 used a soft, light colored varietj' to fertilize their Crescents with, and West 

 Tennessee used only the Wilson, the proof would be strong that it was fron) 

 this cause that the variety differed so in the two localities; but such is not 

 the case. The Wilson is used in Illinois as a fertilizer for the Crescent as 

 much as in Tennessee, hence we must find some other cause, and, in my 

 opinion, it will be found in the soil. 



Some of the finest Crescents I have ever seen were fertilized with the 

 Crystal City, a rather small, soft variety; and as large, fine Crescents as 

 were grown at Gadsden the past season, where several hundred acres of this 

 variety were cultivated, were grown by Mr. Rains in a field fertilized with 

 what he called a bogus variety. The drought of ISS] destroyed his Wilson 

 plants and he ordered more from the North, but received this variety in- 

 stead, a very small, sour variety, not worth picking, but having an abund- 

 ance of pollen, and blooming with the Crescents. 



I made a little tour of observation, near the clo.se of the berry season, 

 among the growers at several stations around me, on purpose to see this 

 change in the Crescent that I had so often heard about, but in no instance 

 could I find a Sharpless or oilier variety than Crescent growing on Crescent 

 plants. There was some variation in the difl'erent patches, but in no CJise 

 could it be traced to the variety furnishing the j)ollen. 



I also visited the strawberry section of SontiuM-n Illinois and was present 

 at the strawberry exhibition atCobden. I found growers there divided ujion 

 this question; some old, experienced growers were very positive in their 



