210 THE STRAWBERRY IN NORTH AMERICA 



into the strawberry so recently, as compared with the 

 centuries that this fruit has been in existence, that it is not 

 surprising that a majority of the seedhngs revert. 



Bud Variation 



Practically all new varieties of the strawberry, if not all, 

 are produced by crossing ; there is a commingling of the 

 characters of two parents. Whether new varieties that 

 will persistently retain their distinctive characters are 

 produced by bud variation, without the aid of crossing, 

 long has been in dispute. Permanent varieties of numer- 

 ous other plants are produced by bud variation. There 

 are many distinct varieties of the pineapple, banana and 

 horse radish, yet these plants never bear seed. A large 

 proportion of the varieties of the carnation, rose, chrys- 

 anthemum, violet and other cultivated flowers, originated 

 as bud sports. It cannot be denied that it is impossible 

 for varieties of strawberry to originate by bud variation ; 

 all that can be said is that this is not common and that 

 more emphasis has been placed upon it by certain propaga- 

 tors than the facts warrant. 



The influence of environment. — The test of a new 

 variety is ability to retain its distinctive character, as 

 compared with other varieties, when grown under diverse 

 conditions of soil and climate. When a variety becomes 

 popular, various "improved" forms of it are offered. 

 These are claimed to be distinct from the original variety 

 and superior to it. Thus, w^e have had Felton's Improved, 

 Wilson's Albany, Improved Bisel, Improved Bubach, 

 Improved Parker Earle and many others. These are not 

 seedlings, but merely plants of the original variety which, 

 because of some favoring circumstance in culture and 



