94 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



vre now have, and also a pear of tine quality ripening in March, 

 and I think we shall obtain them ; there is encouragement to make 

 the attempt to gain them, in the fact that we need them. These 

 are illustrations of the improvements which sliould be sought in 

 raising new strawberries. Furthermore, I believe that new varieties 

 as parents are more impressible — so to speak — than old varieties, 

 and will engender changes more readily, and that cross-fertilizatioa 

 and environment will effect them more surely. 



The points of importance in a new variet}', are : 



First, vigor, healthfulness, and large feeding capacity. 



Second, a large flower, with a strong cone, whether pistillate or 

 bi-sexual. 



Third, great productiveness. 



Fourth, good quality' . 



Fifth, good size, form, and color. 



Sixth, sufficient firmness to keep well and ship well. 



A variety with small leaves, and profuse in throwing runners, 

 will usually produce small berries and stands a small chance of 

 being retained. 



A strong plant with a large, dark colored, leathery leaf throwing 

 heavy runners, indicates a strong root-sj'stem and large fruit. 



A light colored leaf is nsually more tender and more sul)ject to 

 disease than a dark one. 



All who raise strawberry seedlings will understand that the 

 rejected plants will probably be largely in the majority. ]\Iauy 

 •ma}^ properly be rejected while j^et in the seed bed. Mr. Boyden 

 said that as soon as the plant had three or four leaves he could 

 select all tliat he wanted to retain for testing. The lot of seed- 

 lings comprising the Jewell luimbered up to 500, but only a little 

 more than 400 were retained to test. The more promising should 

 be planted out in rows, staked, and numbered, so that notes can 

 easily be taken at blooming and at fruiting from year to year if 

 required. 



Although we may have to reject ultimately 499 varieties out of 

 500, yet the possibility of that one choice variet}' will give zest to 

 the most painstaking efforts in this direction. That the near 

 future is to give us varieties of superior excellence, I have no 

 doubt. 



The Raspbekhy am> the BLACKHERin'. — With them as with 

 the strawberry, the tendenc}" is to over-crowding. 



