'STRAWBERRY SEEDLINGS" 



Dr. Frederick S. DeLue, Boston. 



Mr, President, Ladies and Gentlemen, I was expecting 

 to come here and give a few very informal remarks, 

 but I got a few days ago a note from your Secretary asking 

 me if I could have a copy of my paper, and I see by the no- 

 tice that it was a' matter of 10 minutes, so I presume that is a 

 very good way of shutting me off, because when I start oul 

 on these subjects, I do not know when to stop. 



The subject of raising strawberry seedlings seems to be 

 very little understood and, so far as I can find, almost no 

 mention of it is made in the literature. It is for this rea- 

 son, I believe, that so few new varieties of merit have been 

 introduced. Were it better understood it would l)e more 

 readily undertaken, for, in my opinion, no other branch of 

 fruit culture can compare with it in absorbing interest. 



For the scientist who may be interested in heredity 

 and environment, I know of nothing to compare with it, not 

 even the guinea pig nor sweet corn which are so generally 

 used, for the results are reached so quickly and so many 

 more determining features are available for making our con- 

 clusions a little more accurate. 



The subject, however, requires the most careful thought 

 and study practically the greater part of the year, for dur- 

 ing the season when plants are dormant one is studying field 

 notes and charts or diagrams preparatory to new matings 

 and seed sowing for the next season, and during the grow- 

 ing season there is a constant succession of changes in plant 

 and fruit. 



The great majority of people will take the subject up 

 for the purpose of improving on the varieties which we al- 

 ready have, for no one who has ever eaten berries of the 



