122 Mississijjpi Valley Horticultural Society. 



other fiicts, but perhaps these are enough. They have at least convinced me 

 that if I have a good pistillate strawberry lacking only in firmness, this can 

 be improved to a great extent by planting it with Wilson or other perfect 

 flowing sorts that are firm. Increase the size by planting with larger varie- 

 ties, and so on through the whole list. Color, flavor and form, all can be more 

 or less changed by the aid of the right perfect flowering varieties. 



DISCUSSION ON STRAWBERRY CULTURE, 



A'o/. Burrill, of lUiuois — I can not help but express my gratifi- 

 cation at having this subject of cross fertilization so ably presented. 

 For ray part I hope we can have all the facts Mr. Hale can give us 

 for publication. The thing we are after is not the seeds but the 

 pulp. We are not so sure that the seeds will partake of the 

 character of both berries. I should not be surprised if we should 

 learn to grow strawberries without fertilizing and without seeds. 

 The process has been brought about in the banana. You do not 

 find seeds there. There are the rudiments and that is all. What 

 has been done with it may be possible with the strawberry. A yel- 

 low Bellflower tree was neighbor to a Russet, and it gave .some Rus- 

 .set appearance to the fruit of the Bellflower. If cross fertilization 

 affects all the strawberry, I do not know but it will affect the whole 

 apple. 



Mr. Penrce, of Ohio — In my father's orchard two varieties, the 

 Russet and Belmont, mixed so they were sometimes scarcely dis- 

 tinguishable. It set me to thinking. I have noticed the same thing 

 in the strawberry. I have been laughed at, but I believe in this. 



Mr. Smith, of New York — One thought occurs to me with regard 

 to the success of the grower of the strawberry. My experience has 

 been that success has depended upon the keeping off of the runners. 

 On my way to Philadelphia last fall I stopped with a friend. He 

 said his berries netted forty-five cents a quart because he had gotten 

 up a reputation for growing such berries. He said it was due to 

 keeping off the runners. One point was suggested to me in the 

 effect of fertilization on the seeds of the plant. One gentleman 

 speaks of the crossing of the two varieties of apples. I can go a step 

 farther. Fruits of different species, such as the pear and butternut, 

 became so hybridized we could scarcely tell (he difference. [Laugh- 

 ter.] I do not speak without knowing. Here is a pear taken from 



