372 8tate Horticultural Society. 



Largely by Care and Feeding. — It is very difficult to answer tlie 

 questions contained in your inquiry concerning the improvement of straw- 

 berries by means of selection. Two things are concerned in the problem: 

 First, variation; second, selection, to perpetuate those varieties. Varia- 

 tions are induced by the environments in which the plants are grown; 

 that is, good cultivation, poor cultivation, rich soil, poor soil, tend to make 

 the plants different. As a matter of practice, we desire only those dif- 

 ferences or variations which have been produced by good soil and good 

 treatment. When these variations once appear, by selecting young 

 plants from the old plants which please us most, we perpetuate that par- 

 ticular variation. I should say, therefore, in answer to your question, 

 that strawberries are improved both by causing them to vary in the 

 desired directions, and then by selecting the variations which arise. In 

 my opinion, the variations are induced very largely by the care and feed- 

 ing which the plants receive. 



Prof. L. H. Bailey, 



Cornell University. 



Strawberry Bud Variation Slight. — Bud variations have been shown 

 to be common with certain plants, and to be often quite marked. This 

 is true of apples, peaches and plums. With such fruits, improvement by 

 bud selection is altogether feasible. I do not mean to recommend this 

 means of originating new varieties in general; but it is well worth atten- 

 tion in keeping standard varieties up to standard. With the strawberry, 

 bud variation is very slight, I suspect; at any rate, I never noted any 

 special cases of it. In this connection, I was struck by a remark made 

 by Mr. W. T. Macoun before the recent meeting of the Quebec Pomo- 

 ogical Society. He said that, among a large number of strawberries in 

 the variety test at the Central (Canada) Experiment Farm, last year, the 



old Wilson's Albany ranked first. 



F. A. Waugh, 



Vermont. 



M. Crawford's Opinion. — My opinion is that far too nmcli has been 

 claimed for selection. It is one of those theories than can neither be 

 proved nor disproved. On all such questions, men are likely to have 

 very positive opinions. In looking for evidence in support of either side, 



