STATE HORTICULTURAL SOriETV. 105 



Prof. Budd — Mr. Dixon siiys arsenic water will effectually 

 destroy this insect. 



Parker Earle — I should fear to use arsenic, but think pyreth- 

 rum will answer the same purpose without the danger of poisoning 

 the consumer of the berries. 



Question — Describe the taynisltcd plant hiKj':' 



Answer — It is a small bug. At first the size of a flea, when it 

 does most harm. They continue all the season, becoming perhaps a 

 little larger than a chintz bug. It has long been known as a vicious 

 fellow, but never supposed to injure strawberries until quite lately. 

 It was first discovered in our fields by my son, and described by 

 Prof. Forbes. 



Dr. Schroider — What variety do you consider the most profit- 

 able? 



Parker Earle ^ I do not like to commit myself on this question, 

 so many conditions of soils and markets are to be taken into consid- 

 eration. The Wilson, all things considered, is perhaps the most 

 popular variety. I cannot grow the Wilson, 1 am sorry to say. The 

 Great American is the biggest and finest appearing berry. Our most 

 profitable variety is the Crescent. 



Question — ^What varieties do you use as a fertilizer? 



Answer — We have used them all, and are not prepared to say 

 that it has any influence on the fruit. ■ 



Prof. Budd — I am very sure it does have an influence. I think 

 I know that it does. Perhaps I ought not to be so positive. Several 

 years ago the question came up at the College, and since that time I 

 have been experimenting and observing closely the influence of ])ollen 

 from hermaphrodite or perfect blossoms upon the fruit of pistillate 

 varieties. And these observations and experiments have fully con- 

 vinced me that this influence is so marked and positive as to render 

 an entirely pistillate variety like the Crescent so totally difTerent 

 when fertilized by two sorts of widely different characteristics, that 

 it would not be recognized as the same strawberry. I will instance 

 one of our experiments. We planted the old Colfax variety in a 

 field at a distance from other varieties of strawlj?rries, and used va- 

 rieties of marked peculiarity to fertilize with, and in every instance 



