36 State Horticultural Society. 



J. H. Monsees, Beaman. — I have experimented for manv years in 

 seedlings and have two worthy ones. ^STo. 1 is a staminate from Jewell on 

 one side, other unknown. It is large and productive, of excellent flavor. 

 The first pickings are large and rough, but afterwards better. I have 

 grown it for four or five years and find it stands drouth well. No. 2 is 

 a pistillate from the Crescent, the form is better than 'No. 1, fruit more 

 acid, and growth less rank; it ripens about with the Crescent. 



J.C.Whitten-The Experiment Station is growing various seedlings 

 and men over the state are testing them. In the case of hand -pollenated 

 parentage there is no natural selection of pollen so the berry is not 

 perfect. We have three or four promising seedlings, 180 varieties now 

 fruiting and about sixty good commercial ones. This year we began 

 a new method of crossing so as to know the parent and yet give free 

 pollenation. Crescent and Capt. Jack were grown under a frame and 

 forced into bloom a month before others, then we put in the bees so 

 there was a natural selection of pollen and the plants gro^vn from the 

 resulting seeds we shall try. ISText year we want to take Crescent with 

 Sharpless to find if there is a difference in affinity between varieties. 

 This combination has given 80 per cent good seedling while another 

 gave only one in a thousand. A systematic following of this plan may 

 show certain crosses give better results and indicate affinity of types. 

 Reports last year show results variable with three or four varieties. Pedi- 

 gree in plants is not thoroughly understood. Selection is the salvation 

 of horticulture in giving varieties; improvement is chiefly due to 

 selection. This society has always manifested its interest and patience 

 with our experiments. Strawberry breeding is limited to a cross between 

 two varieties; for this gives us from four to five thousand seeds and that 

 many plants and varieties to keep track of. We keep the per cent that are 

 free from rust and blight, the per cent having runners and those that do 

 not, the relative hardiness, productiveness and quality — all this is re- 

 corded and it means an immense amount of work. Four or five thousand 

 varieties to taste will make you sick for three weeks. The amount of 

 work is enormous, the note-making is tedious and there must l)e con- 

 stant weeding out; so that results are slow, but they are sure. 



Goodman. — We are glad of the experiments, and failures are as 

 valuable in teaching, as success. I believe in selection and think we 



