160 American Ilorticullural Society. 



our American crabs), we must forever rely upon the introduced species. 

 We can, therefore, only hope to acclimate and improve these several t^pecies 

 by culture, the origin of new varieties and the occasional introduction of new 

 blood from their native habitats, so as to the better adapt them to our cli- 

 mate and soils. Much has already been done in these directions, and much 

 more may yet be accomplished. 



SPECIES WHICH HAVE IMPROVED AND UNIMPROVED NATIVE RELATIVES, 



As has already been hinted, much valuable time has been lost, as the 

 results of the last few years will attest, by our forefathers in their efforts to 

 acclimate certain species of foreign fruits, to culture in our climate, and 

 (-specially where native relatives only awaited the results of trials. Mot-t 

 prominent among these is the grape. Prior to the publication of Downing'.-* 

 original volume, in 1S45, absolutely nothing had been done, in a systematic 

 manner, by way of improving our native grapes'. It is true, the Catiiwba, 

 Isabella, and a few others, were in cultivation, but, as Downing well and 

 truthfully remarks, "they are accidentally improved varieties, that have 

 sprung up in woods and lields from wild vines." But we were just then 

 bordering < n the era of improvement of our native species of grapes. A8 

 evidence of this, Downing adds to the above quotation the ft)llowing: " They 

 (these improved grapes) are, therefore, but one remove from a wild state, 

 and, as extensive trials are now being made by various cultivators to pro- 

 duce new varieties from these, there is little doubt that in a few years we 

 shall have many new native sorts, combining the good qualities of the best 

 foreign grapes, with the hardiness of the indigenous ones, and with also the 

 necessary adaptiition to the various soils and climates of the United States." 

 How well this prophecy has been fully verified the present large and rapidly 

 increasing list of splendid native grapes well attests. Foreign sorts are now 

 almost unknown and forgotten except as we meet with them in the markets, 

 shipped from Southern P^urope or from California. 



These same remarks will apply to the plum, the native species of which 

 has been so wonderfully improved within the last f w years; to the rasp- 

 berry, foreign sorts of which are rapidly being superseded by improved 

 American varieties; to the strawberry ; to the gooseberry ; to the cranberry, 

 etc. But there are a number of our native fruits as yet wholly neglected. 



THE IMPROVEMENT OF SPECIES BY SELECTION AND CULTURE, 



Which was so ably advocated and practiced in the early years of this cen- 

 tury, by the late Dr. Van Mons, of Belgium, consists mainly in removing 

 the natural wildling from its native habiuit and transplanting it into culti- 

 vated grounds and surroumling it by all the domesticating arts of the horti- 

 culturist, always selecting specimens to propagate from which combine the 

 greatest and most desirable qualities. This operation, repeated from gen- 

 eration to generation, though not really so highly scientific and certain in 



