Evening star., 1948-02-22
Expert Grows
Many Varieties
Of Strawberries
By Jones BirchfieId

II you could combine In one
strawberry these characteristics-
the firmness of the commercial
berries, q consistently high vitamin
c content. an excellent flavor and
an aroma that would make your
mouth water-then you would have
the ideal strawberry.
Such q strawberry does not yet
exist. But DR.. George M. DaTrow,
principal pomologist IN charge Of re-
search at the Plant Industry Station
at Beltsville, is on its trail. And
when you look ut Dr.. Darrow's rec
ord since 1928, 1t isn't hard to believe
that the strawberry Of the future"
will emerge at almost any time.
DR.. Darrow, q quiet-spoken scien-
tast, has had phenomenal results
with his strawberry breeding work.
One of the plants from the first cross
he made back IN 1928, an offspring
OF the Missouri and Howard II varie-
ties, 10 now known a. the Blakemore
and accounts for more than one
third Of the commercial strawberries
&EORu R1 b1llb UOuuIy.
Varieties Resist Disease.
But there are other factors IN
creating new strawberry varieties.
Disease resistance must be consid-
cred, and DR.. Darrow already has
perfected two varieties-the Fsir1and
and the Temple-that show q re-
markable resistance to Red Stele, q
root disease that has threatened to
wipe out the strawberry industry on
the Eastern Shore.
Growers like to have the maxi
mum assurance that they will har-
vest a crop of berries, 30 Dr. Darrow
and his assistants are also attempt
ting to breed into commercial varie-
ties q resistance to early spring
freezes. In order to do this, they
have imported wild berry from
North Dakota and are attempting to
pass on its cold resistant ability to
other strains.
Already some varieties have re-
suited from these crosses that have
produced flowers that have with
stood temperatures as low as IS de-
grees above zero.
Vast Variety Represented.
Creating new strawberry vari-
eties is an exacting procedure. From
one cross, for example, 1t Is possible
to get as many as 10000 plants,
each having varying characteristics.
So after the cross is made, the real
work of observation and propag eating
the best varieties is just begun.
In making the cross, the scient-
list first decide which is to be the
male and the female plants. Then
pollen is taken from the male flowers
and carefully brushed on the female
flowers that first have been emas-
cuiated to prevent self pollination
The seeds are carefully separated
from the berries, are dried and
cleaned and then are planted in
seed flats. When they become large
enough they then are transplanted
to test plots where the character
istics of the various berries can be
studied. ~
Where scientists are working on
plants that will be resistant to the
Red Stele disease, the young plants
are grown in infected soil in the
green house. Those that resist the
disease-perhaps as many as 5000
plants from $1,000 seedhngs-are
then set In outside beds for further
tests.
Vitamin C Factor Important.
Concerning the sitanlin content
of berries, DIR. Darrow explained
that some berries contain so per
cent more vitamin &c than do citrus
fruits He said plant scientists
hoDe to produce varieties that con-
sistently will yield fruit high in
this vitamin.
DR.. Darrow also has advice for
the home gardener who wants a
strawberry patch. He does not
like the everbearing varieties for
this section because they are affect
ed by the hot summers.
Unless there is good supply OF
stable manure, plenty Of mulching
material and unlimited water, he
said, it Is better to stick to the
regular varieties.
The Midland, for example, is q
very large, early berry OF fine quail
ty. The Suwanee, berry of fine
flavor, and the Fairland, follow the
Midland. Then for midseason
bearing comes the Sparkle, and an
excellent late berry is the Fairpeake.
The Sparkle, while berry of good
flavor, is soft and rarely found in
commercial paintings. 1t Is con-
sidered excellent, however, for
home use.