lADr THOMPSON. 
EARLY TO LATE Bl-sexual. Largely planted 
in the South, and it suceeds well almost everywhere 
but seems to have a preference for sandy soils. It 
Is a splendid shipper, very prolific of bright red 
berries, shaped like a top and of fine quality The 
plants are rank growers, making runners freely, and 
should be grown In narrow hedge rows to get big 
bright berries. It Is deep rooted and keeps on grow- 
ing right through a drought; is also a good pollen- 
izer Every year we make selection Ic shows a big 
increase in points and develops up rapidly. 
The ground never should be plowed when 
it is wet enough to paste; test first by rubbing 
it through the hands, seeing if it crumbles; 
never go deep enough to turn up any subsoil; 
remember that fineness, firmness and thor- 
oughness bring success. 
CONGENIAL MATING. 
We operate the largest strawberry experi- 
mental beds in the world, and in making ex- 
tensive experiments many discoveries are 
made, and those that are found to be of value 
are incorporated in this book for the benefit 
of fruit growers who are searching for the 
latest and most scientific methods. One item 
of much importance is that of congenially 
mating varieties. Bushels of berries are lost 
annually from improper pollenization, besides 
many more from the same cause are knotty 
and poorly developed. Immediately after the 
pistillate or female flower opens, the stigma 
is most receptive and if the male or bisexual 
which is used for the purpose of pollenation 
is of the same season and strong in potency 
of pollen the ovules will all be fertilized, fecun- 
dation taking place at once; this insures a per- 
fectly developed berry. When setting the 
plants, if this feature is neglected, it most in- 
variably happens that either the stamens or 
pistils of the flowers mature in advance of one 
or the other essential parts; for instance, the 
stamens may mature, the anthers burst and 
pollen thrown upon the pistil before the stig- 
ma has yet become receptive; then the ovules 
are not fertilized. Or, on the other hand, it 
may be that the pistil has fully matured be- 
KEDGEWAY. 
MEDIUM EARLY TO LATE. Bl-sexual, and a 
most beautiful shaped berry. They are great, big, 
bright fellows with a shiny gloss. You never get tired 
of looking at them; they are so good, the more you 
eat. the more you want. The large, round beaulles 
are so smooth that they certainly present a handsome 
appearance when nicely arranged in the box. The 
plant is a thrifty grower and produces abundantly; It 
Is a splendid pollenizer, being extra rich In this 
respect. Eight years of selection with careful breed- 
ing. 
fore the anthers open, thereby causing a blank 
bloom. 
Take, for instance, the Warfield, which is 
a pistillate of great value when properly han- 
dled; it has a long, flowering season and for 
best results it should be mated on one side by 
an extra early bisexual or male variety and 
on the other side by a medium season variety; 
this will furnish sufficient pollen at the right 
r 
Effects of Imperfect Pollenization. 
time for every flower and cause perfect pol- 
lenization, thus producing the proper effect 
for a big crop of perfectly developed berries. 
A male plant that has been weakened by pol- 
len exhaustion from any cause should never 
be used for mating the female. Excessive 
breeding without restriction causes weakness 
in the vital organs of plants, the same as in 
animals. The scientific stock breeder guards 
