R. M. KELLOGO'S OREAT CROPS Of 
ing- its potency or life i^iving' power, the pulp 
or fruit will be .scrubbj' and fail to attain its 
natural size, nor will it take on the same 
brilliant color, firmness or flavor. 
(rood onltliro and plenty of manure will 
help it but it cannot be made to furnish 
the potency and vig'or necessary to the 
fullest development of fruit, without the 
male plant has been restricted to its ability 
to give the g'reatest vig'or to the seed. 
Have yon ever noticed that when apple 
trees bloom to excess — "white as snow" — 
that comparatively little fruit sets, and often 
for several seasons following they bear very 
little fruit. Excessive shedding of pollen 
explains the whole matter. 
What i.s tlie renx'dy? How are we to 
make every plant fruit and the whole row 
be evenly loaded with line specimens? I 
answer, adopt the same measures u.sed by 
stock-breeders. Restrict pollen and seed 
bearing and keep them within their ability 
to impart to pollen and seeds the highest 
potency so that when the pistils are impreg- 
nated it will not only be sufficient to bring 
life into existence but will give to the seeds 
the greatest vigor and cause the fruit to take 
on the highest degree of development. 
But let ll.S stop here and inquire what 
has been the universal practice of fruit 
grow-ers in this regard. Strawberries have 
been allowed to open their flowers year after 
year and throw their whole strength into 
this pollen production until they cannot 
impreg'nate the pistils of the fl iwer. 
Undevki-oped Straw hick hies. 
(Showing lack of potency- in pollen.) 
Not one fruit grower in a thousand has 
given this subject a single thought, and so 
not a plant can be found among them 
which is not more or less sexually debili- 
tated. I appeal to you as a grower, examine 
your own plants and those of your neighbors 
and you will find hundreds of blank plants 
(not fruiting). Some have dwarfed and 
bottony fruit, others fiave one or two fair 
specimens while here and there are plants 
fruiting fairly well, all showing difl'erent 
degrees of exhaustion or partial recovery. 
It is impossible for such plants to give a 
return for the care bestowed upon them. 
Bear in mind the passion to multiply 
and fruit would compel them to fruit 
heavily every year unless there was a 
good cause for failure. 
Plaiits, like animals, are subject to dis- 
eases which extend to every part of the plant 
and when we make cuttings from them for 
propagating purposes, we carry the disease 
or weakness into the new plantation. In 
selecting ideal specimens, entirely free 
from di.sease and insect pests, we eliminate 
or throw out all these defects, thus securing 
healthy foliage, uniformity in fruit, and 
great productiveness. 
Smith's Seedlino. 
Strawberries nmltiply in two ways, 
by seeds and runners. They first throw 
their energies into reproducing themselves 
by seeds (or fruiting-). If they are allowed 
to shed pollen each year without restriction, 
the pollen as previmisly explained loses its 
potency and the pistils become weakened 
and it will then make a mass of foliage and 
runners, but produce but very little fruit. 
Many growers labor under the impres- 
sion that a strawberry runner is a seed 
instead of a mere bud or cutting, and 
when we take runners frnm it, it is only 
dividing the old plant and whatever dis- 
ease, weakness or exhaustion the old plant 
contains, is in the new runner, and its fruit- 
ing capacity and vigor of foliage will not 
exceed that of the mother plant, except so 
far as it is strengthened by new roots and 
new soil, but the grower cannot receive 
the same reward for his labor he would if 
cultivating healthy plants, possesses? of 
strong fruiting power. The failure of 
herry ineu to recognize these defects, has 
caused more loss and disappointments and 
driven more beginners from this most 
delightful and profitable part of the whole 
system of agriculture than all other causes 
combined. A large majority of growers are 
today expending their nnniey and labor on 
])lants utterly unable to respond to the 
most generous treatment, i-et im- ax/-- ciuididly, 
do you know anything' about the history of 
the plants you are cultivating'? 
What is hud variation? All varieties 
of plants sport more or less. That is, they 
change from the usual type, both in fruit 
and foliag'e. Sometimes they are decidedly 
