Production of New Varieties of Fruit. 41 



This would be a sure, but painstaking way to mingle varieties; 

 another way is to plant two or more kinds in the same hill, then by 

 training and pruning so interlace the branches as to make a ming- 

 ling of blossoms very probable; then save and plant all the seed 

 therefrom, and from the young plants select the most promising. 

 A thousand plants so raised and fruited might yield ten, five or 

 one that would be an improvement on the old — a slow and tedious 

 process truly; yet it is by similar patient efforts that we have 

 received from Van Mons our choicest pears, from Knight fine cher- 

 ries and other fruits, from Rogers and Rickets excellent grapes, 

 and from Boyden valuable strawberries. 



Another fruit — entirely at home here — miserably poor and value- 

 less in its present condition, I believe to be susceptible of very 

 great improvement, and of being made a source of luxury and 

 profit. I refer to our native plum, abundant in all our groves; 

 hardy as an oak, wonderfully fertile, with no enemy except the 

 curculio, yet allowed to run entirely to waste, simply " cumbering 

 the ground." Is this as it should be? Do you believe we are 

 doing the best we can as horticulturists while we allow a fruit with 

 so many good points to remain so utterly useless? Will anybody 

 sympathize with us because we can't enjoy choice Gages and Golden- 

 drops, when we make no effort to aid ourselves, not even taking 

 the trouble to select and transplant the best from the woods. That 

 we may select some of the best, and by giving good culture make 

 them yield abundant crops which will bring remunerative prices, 

 is doubted by none. That we can and ought to produce from 

 those something better and in greater variety seems equally plain 

 to me. By this good work whose name is to be placed with those 

 already mentioned? 



The united efforts of a county society and a state society are not 

 required to get up an excellent strawberry show. It maybe better 

 done by the county society alone, or by a township society. A 

 single school district could do great things; or the members of a 

 family could make a showing which would bring out sharp compe- 

 tition, and be a source of pleasant amusement and profit. To cul- 

 tivate and encourage this interest as applied to strawberries and 

 roses, is largely the mission of these summer meetings of our state 

 society. Owing to difference in time of blooming and of ripening, 

 in widely extended territory, the state society can add little or 



