PEDIGREE STRAWBERRY PLANTS. I9I 



PEDIGREE STRAWBERRY PLANTS. 



B. T. HOYT^ ST. PAUL. 



In preparing- this short article on the growing of pedigree 

 strawberry plants, I have not attempted to cover the whole subject 

 of strawberry growing but simply to touch on that part which relates 

 to the pedigree, or life history, of the plants. 



In speaking of "pedigree" strawberry plants I mean high grade 

 plants that have been selected for a series of years with the view 

 to improvement. Webster's definition of pedigree, is "i. Lineage; 

 line of ancestors from which a person or tribe descends. 2. An 

 account or register of a line of ancestors." A pedigree plant is 

 not understood to be the same as a pedigree animal, although many 

 of the laws and principles of breeding are practically the same with 

 plants as with animals. The term pedigree is used simply as a 

 means of distinguishing high grade plants, with a known selection, 

 from plants of ordinary breeding. 



I believe it is as important for the plant propagator to keep a 

 record of his plants for propagating purposes as it is for the stock 

 breeder to keep a record of his breeding stock. The purpose of 

 the American Breeders' Association is to study the" laws of breed- 

 ing and to promote the improvement of plants and animals by the 

 development of expert methods of breeding. This association is 

 composed of the leading plant and stock breeders all over the 

 country. 



Variation in plants is continually going on. No two plants 

 are exactly alike and when planted in good soil and given the best 

 cultivation some are going to outdo the others, and these should be 

 staked. These individual variations are of the greatest importance 

 to the plant breeder, and by selecting these properly a distinct 

 strain may often be produced. New varieties are not often produced 

 in this manner, however, but the best varieties can be greatly im- 

 proved or at least kept up to a high standard. 



In following up a selection each year of only the ideal specimens, 

 the same as ideal ears of corn are selected for the breeding plot, 

 the improvement is usually in proportion to the standard of the 

 plants used for that purpose. 



Planting the propagating bed should be done as early as possible 

 in the spring, so as to give the plants as long a season as possible to 

 become established and send out the new runners which are to be 

 sold the following spring — always discard the mother plants when 

 digging. 



Great care should .be used in setting plants to have the roots 

 well spread out and firmed, after which a suitable harrow cultivator 



