THE STKAWBKUUY AM) ITS CULTIRK. 93 



Remove early from the plaut x", all but three or four principal 

 fruit stalks, so that the strength of its vital forces shall be concen- 

 trated in them. 



As soon as the most important blooms on x open, remove the 

 sash, and fertilize with pollen from a, o, a, a, using a camels' hair 

 brush. It is better to fertilize in two or three successive opera- 

 tions, to ensure completeness of the work. Then replace the 

 sash, which should be removed permanently as soon as the fruit is 

 well set, two days after fertilization l)eing sufficient. The finest of 

 these cross-fertilized berries only should be used for seed. At 

 perfect maturit}' luash the berries and wash out the chosen seed, 

 place the seed on ice a few days, then sow in a box placed in a 

 -greenhouse or conservatory and when the plants attain sufficient 

 size transplant to the open ground. These plants with good atten- 

 tion and culture will be large enough to stand the winter well, with 

 suitable mulching, and will speedily lie in bearing condition. 



To all intelligent amateurs, to invalids, to ladies of horticultural 

 tastes, and especially to youth of either sex, there is a fascination 

 about this work, that is not only captivating, but also thoroughly 

 elevating. As a recreation of absorbing interest, it is almost 

 without a parallel. The possibility of a high degree of success, 

 is sufficient inducement to encourage the undertaking. 



The principles involved in choosing parent varieties are : first, 

 to choose those having as many strong points as possible in 

 common. Second, when the mother variet}^ lacks in some one 

 essential, select the male parent having that missing quality most 

 fully. In short, aggregate in the prospective progeny as many 

 strong points as are attainable. Of course we cannot sum up all 

 the good points of both parents and knoio we have that aggregate, 

 but possibilities lie in that direction. As already intimated speci- 

 men berries for seed should be the very largest, finest, and of ideal 

 form and development ; and yet the seeds from a single berry will 

 produce a progeny of the widest variation, but in this variation 

 lies the hope of improvement. 



The momentum of high culture and favoring circumstances adds 

 much to the possibilities for improvement in the new seedlings. 

 I believe we can so combine the forces of t«'0 varieties as to get 

 valuable results if properly handled. Circumstances of heredity 

 will have effect ; hence we cannot predict exactly what the final 

 progeny will be. "We want a Bartlett pear a month earlier than 



