A PERFECT STRAWBERRY BLOSSOM 
In the center is a compact mass of pistils, short tubes each of which leads down to a seed. 
time of bloom and of ripe fruit. Mr. 
Around these pistils are the stamens surmounted by capsule-like anthers filled with pollen. 
Usually fertilization takes place through pollen which bees bring from other strawberry 
blossoms and which brushes off their heads and legs on to the pistils. It is obviously 
necessary to have some of these ‘‘perfect” flowers in the strawberry bed, if fertilization 
is to take place. But some varieties bear flowers which have no pollen; they are imperfect 
or pistillate. Unless such varieties are interplanted with perfect-flowered varieties, no 
crop will be produced. Photograph by John Howard Paine, much enlarged. (Fig. 2.) 
‘Like other plant breeders who have 
Cloud considers that he has succeeded had long experience, Mr. Cloud can 
to some degree in combining both detect plant characteristics and differ- 
characteristics in the Payday. 
ences indistinguishable to one lacking 
533 
