214 THE STRAWBERRY IN NORTH AMERICA 



if any, permanent varieties may be expected from this 

 source. This is not saying that it is not worth while to 

 select the best mother plants in propagating a variety. 

 That has been proved desirable with other kinds of plants 

 propagated asexually, as well as those propagated by 

 seeds ; — why not with the strawberry ? If practiced for 

 several generations, this should give a stronger and more 

 desirable stock of plants. It is conceivable that, if the 

 plants are selected rigidly for many years, this might even 

 modify the character of the variety to an appreciable 

 extent ; but this result could hardly be expected in a few 

 years, and most of the so-called ''pedigree" plants have 

 been selected but a short time. 



The term "pedigree" is, of course, wrongly applied here, 

 since it implies an accurate record of many generations. 

 No variety of strawberry has been selected long enough, 

 and sufficiently full records kept, to justify the use of this 

 term. Moreover, since the strawberry is propagated by 

 dividing the old plant, there is really but one generation. 

 The runners, from one generation to another, are merely 

 a part of the original seedling. There can be no 

 pedigree in plants that are propagated asexually. In 

 so far as the term is used by nurserymen simply to 

 designate well-grown nursery stock of the variety, prop- 

 agated from desirable mother plants, the practice is 

 to be commended, although the term is unfortunate. 

 In so far as it is used to create the impression that 

 the plants are markedly superior to ordinary nursery 

 stock, it is a deception. Most of the "pedigree" plants 

 sold today are simply well-grown plants of the variety, 

 and nothing more. It would be better if they were 

 sold for what they really are — selected, not "pedigree," 

 plants. 



