THB STRAWBERRY FEBRUARY 1906 



the stomach of a quail were counted 101 

 potato beetles, and in that of another 

 quail 500 chinch bugs. In a yellow-bill 

 cuckoo were found forty-three caterpil- 

 lars, and in another cuckoo 217 web 

 worms. A robin had eaten 175 caterpil- 

 lars. The stomach of four chickadees 

 contained 1,028 canker worm eggs. Four 

 others contained 600 eggs and 105 ma- 

 ture insects. 



Believes in the Pedigree Idea 



PROF. S. W. FLETCHER, chief 

 in horticulture at the Michigan 

 Agricultural College, delivered an 

 address before the Michigan State Horti- 

 cultural Society on the value of pedigree 

 in nursery stock in which he said a word 

 that ought to be pondered alike by those 

 who grow plants for the use of others 

 and those who buy the plants for fruiting 

 purposes. In part he said: 



"A pedigree plant is one whose par- 

 entage and ancestry are known. As ap- 

 plied to fruit trees the word is commonly 

 considered to mean a tree which was 

 propagated from a bearing tree having an 

 exceptionally good record for producing 

 large crops of choice fruit. The pedi- 

 gree idea rests upon the most important 

 principle of plant breeding — that of se- 

 lection. If the farmer finds that it pays 

 to select the best ears of corn for seed, if 

 the florist finds that it pays to take cut- 

 tings from the plants that bloom most 

 abundantly, if the gardener finds that it 

 pays to save seed from his best melons — 

 then there should be something in the 

 pedigree idea when applied to nursery 

 stock. ... I believe that there is 

 just as much in it as there is when ap- 

 plied to the propagation of garden vege- 

 tables, florist plants or field crops; but 

 since the generations are farther apart, the 

 results are slower to appear. 



"If all other plants are being improved 

 by selection, and the improvements are 

 handed down to their offspring, why not 

 the fruit growers' plants.'' Some people 

 argue that the cases are different; that 

 there can be no improvement by selection 

 of plants that are propagated not by seed, 

 but merely by dividing up the old plant. 

 How, then, does the florist get better car- 

 nations, chrysanthemums, roses, by merely 

 taking cuttings from his best plants.? It 

 is unfortunate that we have so little con- 

 clusive evidence on this subject, as re- 

 gards fruit trees, resulting from careful 

 experiments, and that most of our con- 

 clusions must be based only on general 

 observation. I am quite satisfied that 

 several, perhaps many, generations of 

 trees propagated from the nursery row 

 may intervene from the original bearing 

 parent without seriously reducing the 

 fruit-bearing value of the nursery stock — 

 but I am also satisfied that it is usually 

 safer and always better to go to bearing 

 trees for buds, if not every year, then at 

 least every two or three years. The ex- 



pediency of this practice is an entirely 

 different matter; such trees may cost 

 more, but they ought to be worth more. 

 "There have been grievous frauds 

 committed in the name of pedigree stock. 

 Much of the stock sent out as such has 

 been no better than ordinary stock; in 

 fact, has been ordinary stock. This has 

 tended to bring the practice and the name 

 into disrepute. But the principle is true, 

 however imperfectly applied. T he be- 

 ginning and the end of the improvement 

 of our fruits is through selection — to 

 which some people have chosen to apply 

 the term 'pedigree.' In my opinion the 

 word is a great misnomer. It can never 

 be used in plant breeding with anything 

 like the same degree of definiteness as it 

 can in animal breeding. Selected stock' 

 expresses the idea and describes the prac- 

 tice much better than pedigree.' Most 

 every successful nurseryman does more 

 or less selection, although but few of 

 them use the word pedigree to describe 

 it. I should like to .see this society put 

 on record in some definite way as favor- 

 ing and encouraging the greatest of all the 

 principles of plant breeding as applied to 

 the propagation of plants — the selection 

 of the best to be the parents of another 

 generation " 



Reports on Variety Tests 



By Edwin H. Riehl 



T AST month we referred to the work being done by 

 Mr. Riehl on his place at North Alton, 111 , 

 known by horticulturists everywhere as Monach 

 Fruit Farm. This farm has been made an experi- 

 ment station of the Illinois State Horticultural So- 

 ciety because of Mr, Riehl's preeminent ability and 

 known thoroughness, and reports of his variety tests 

 always are read with interest by fruit growers every- 

 where.— Editor Strawberry. 



MARK HANNA has made a fine 

 showing so far, somewhat re- 

 sembling Sample and Haverland in 

 its general characteristics. It is rather 

 fair in quality, but its large size and re- 

 markable productiveness places it easily 

 among the most profitable. 



Winchell's Beauty — From Indiana, 

 (imperfect, or pistillate). Both plant and 

 fruit as handsome a variety as ever was 

 produced. Large, very productive, early, 

 very good. 



Florally — From Georgia; perhaps the 

 best variety that ever came to us from 

 the South. Plant robust, productive, 

 very large, firm, very good. 



Crimson Cluster — Is the most promis- 

 ing late variety ever fruited here. May 

 be briefly described as a very much im- 

 proved Gandy. 



Nola (Imp.) — Has every desirable point 

 that a market variety could have. 



Rip Van Winkle (Imp.) — This var- 

 iety is a curiosity because of its tremen- 

 dous production of large perfect fruit, not 

 of best quality. 



Mrs. Fisher — Ranks high as a mid- 

 season to late variety. Berries are a little 



Page 42 



irregular in shape and rather light in color. 

 In every other respect it is fine. 



Ben Davis — Very large, productive, 

 firm, best possible quality, promising. 



Ernie — Is a good grower, fruit large, 

 uniform shape, dark red, glossy, firm, 

 productive, good quality, very promising. 

 North Alton, 111. 



WANTED-IOOO OF THE STRAWEERRY 

 GROWERS TO TEST 



DOERR'S YELLOW DENT CORN 



In 1006. OritrinntedV.yns in lOO'J. Stands 

 ■\vithont a succ'essfnl rival in the corn bolt to- 

 day. We start you ^vith four pounds seed, de- 

 livri-rd at v-mrdoor by U. S. mail for $1.00. 

 iMion-li to grow JJ5 to 40 bushels. 

 W]i\- iiiit t'-stiti Wo are in earnest in tlio mat- 

 ter," iiiid L:ive yon the HarvelBank as refer- 

 ence as to <j\ir reliability. 



A T. DOCRR & SON, - - - HARVEL, ILLINOIS 



Lari-e .-ircuhir F];f:E. Write f.ir it 



A Cracker Jack 



Idea 



You have the fresh popcorn and other 



necessary material, and I have the 



formula tor making the most crisp, lle- 



licious and healthful Cracket-Jack on earth 



Now, what 1 propose to do is to send 

 you my formula with complete instructions for mak- 

 ing "Potter's Famous Ctacker-Jack" if you will send me 

 2Sc. Why pay a big price for a little bag of stale 

 cracker-jack, when you can 

 Learn How lo Make My Famous Brand 

 at so small a cost? Send me 25c in silver or two- 

 cent stamps and 1 will forward my formula and full 

 information to you by return mail. It will tell you 

 how to make your own cracker-jack, anil earn big money 

 Clark Potter, The Cracker-Jack Man, Three Rivers, Alich. 



Wc- v.iui'h for Mr. P iitt,-r.— The KELLc«;a Pub. Co. 



or Surrender 



That is t'le ultimatum 

 tliat iusects and fungi 

 have served on every 

 fruit grower of America. 

 If you do not heed the 

 warning you will not get 

 prolits from your orchard 

 Every man who sprays 

 intelligently at theproper 

 time linds it the most 

 profitable operation on 

 the farm 



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