106 TRANSACTIOXS OF THE ILLINOIS 



the fruit partook strongly of the character of the fertilizing plant 

 or herry. In another case. Red Jacket, or, as the students called it, 

 the Pieplant "strawberry, was used to fertilize a bed of Crescent, and 

 the berries from that bed certainly partook strongly of the flavor of 

 the fertilizing berry. Downer's Prolific is now used on our own 

 grounds to fertilize the Crescent. 



Prof. Burrill — The question of fertilization is one of great im- 

 portance. We all know that in many cases it has a marked effect on 

 the fruit. See how corn is changed. You have all eaten bananas, 

 and know they have no seeds; that is because the blossoms are not 

 fertilized. Now for the evidence we have had here just now. I should 

 just like to try that experiment again and again. Let us experiment 

 and repeat and observe until this question is settled beyond a doubt. 



J. M. Robison — All vegetable productions are more or less in- 

 fluenced by this principle. Corn shows it in a marked degree. The 

 color and shape of the grains, the color of the husk, and sometimes 

 of the cob, are affected by it. 



Prof. Budd — We do not need any further proof of that. We 

 see a marked instance in the melon family. Our cultivated straw- 

 berry is peculiar in this; it is a hybrid, and the crossing of species 

 has resulted in the imperfect development of the organs of fertiliza- 

 tion of many of our best varieties. Most of the Rogers' hybrid 

 grapes are imperfect in much the same way, and must be fertilized 

 with other varieties. Prof. Bessey, who you know is a very close ob- 

 server, has often called our attention to the difference between Cres- 

 cents fertilized with different varieties. While I am on this subject 

 I will say it needs to be investigated by extensive experiments with 

 and upon the other fruits as well as the strawberry. It has been ob- 

 served that the Chickasaw plum bears better when planted where it 

 can be fertilized b}' the native variety. We frequently have evidence 

 that apples ai-e affected by cross fertilization. 



J. M. Pearson — This subject certainly needs more thorough in- 

 vestigati(m. I could bring more conclusive evidence, supported by 

 experiments and thousands of witnesses, to prove that wheat turns 

 to chess, than the Professor has given us to prove his position. 



D. B. Wier — I have fertilized the Crescent with seven or eight 

 different varieties, and have not noticed the effect Prof. Budd speaks 

 of. 



