R. M. Kelloee searching; for the Ideal plant and 
bud variations with a view of Improv- 
ing the variety. 
The Professor of the Agricultural College teaching 
a class how to select animals to im- 
prove the breed. 
SETTI,ED FACTS. 
Like begets like whether in breeding plants or animals. 
A scrub never begat a thoroughbred plant or anima! 
Selection and restriction Is the basis of all Improvement 
The pedigree of a plant Is the history of its breeding and 
determines its value for bearing fruit. 
THB NEW HORTICIJI<TURE. 
In the follovi'ing pages I have given the methods 
which have enabled me to produce the largest crops 
of fine fruits yet reported to have been grown. 
That the measures taken to produce these results 
may be better understood by the reader, I have en- 
deavored to bring out the salient features by a series 
of direct questions and ansv^ers: 
What is a Pedigree Plant?— the word 
"pedigree" means a detailed description of individ- 
ual ancestry in a lineal ascent. It is used in a tech- 
nical sense, signifying skilful breeding or in other 
words that the plant has been propagated through 
a series of years from the most perfect plant of that 
variety which could be found and that it has been 
kept under restriction so that its physical condition 
is such that it will devote its energies to the produc- 
tion of fruit instead of wood buds. It is a mistake 
to say that because a plant is propagated from a bud 
and has but one parent it is not a distinct individual 
as much as one produced sexually or through the 
seeds. While it is true that it partakes more large- 
ly of the mother nature and vdtn less variation than 
through seeds yet changes are constantly going on 
as you can readily see in any berry field. A careful 
study of the physical condition of plants will readily 
show wide differences, and these differences are 
surely transmitted through their runners. The 
following propositions are submitted in evidence of 
these facts. 
"Germinating" Chickens. 
What is Pniit?— It is a substance which 
grows on certain plants and trees in which seeds 
form and the devlopment of fruit flesh depends on 
the seed bearing habit and constitutional or semi- 
nal vigor of the plant. If the plant tlirough neglect 
or bad propagation has lost the habit or ability to 
produce seeds Uttle fruit can be secured. 
^Bli II ir^Tiniihii ii II 
Deformed Strawberries, showing lack of Potency 
of Pollen. 
What are Seeds?— They are eggs of the plant. 
We put hens eggs under the hen and in 21 days out 
pop the chickens: we call this hatching. We put 
the seeds of the strawberry in moist warm ground 
and in a few days up spring new plants. We call 
this seed germination but we might call it hatching 
the seeds. 
Are there not Plants which produce Fruit 
■without Seeds? — Yes, the banana, navel orange, 
pine apple, etc. It is well known that these fruits 
once produced seeds but tlie habit has been lost. 
They are regarded as freaks and are the exception 
amongfruits. The strawberry, apple, peach, orany 
of the fruits grown in tliis latitude, produce seeds. 
If there are no seeds there will be no fruit. A 
knotty or deformed berry or apple is caused by the 
lack of vitality of the seeds in tiie defective part. 
1 
