PROPAGATION. 23 



are inclined to assume this form of growth, and they re- 

 quire somewhat different treatment from those with 

 shorter and low-spreading crowns, as shown in Fig. 6. 

 When the latter are cultivated in hills or single rows, the 

 soil may be drawn up against the plants as their crowns 

 protrude above the surface, covering the new lateral 

 rcats, thereby increasing the vigor and prolonging the 

 life of the plants. 



PROPAGATION. 



The three most common modes of propagation of the 

 Strawberry are, viz., by seeds, runners and divisions of 

 the crowns or stools. The first mode, or by seeds, is 

 practiced mostly for the purpose of producing new 

 varieties, but the wild plants of all the species reproduce 

 themselves from seed with very slight variations, and it 

 is only from the already improved varieties that we can 

 expect to raise new ones of any considerable value. If, 

 however, we fertilize the pistils of a wild plant with pol- 

 len from an improved one, we stand a fair chance of ob- 

 taining seedlings showing an advance upon the wild or 

 parent plant. However, unless there is some special 

 object in view such as extreme hardiness, or the 

 adaptation of a variety to a certain soil or situation it is 

 better to save seed from the improved sorts than to go 

 back or resort to the primitive or wild species for a 

 supply. 



To obtain seed it is only necessary to select the ripe 

 berries, and either crush the pulp and spread it out and 

 dry it with the seeds, thus preserving both, or the fruit 

 may be crushed and the seeds washed out. The sound 

 good seeds will fall to the bottom, and the pulp and 

 false ones remain on the surface, from which both may 

 be readily removed. I have found seed preserved in th 



