V.\1,LKV llORTKlTI/rUHAL SOCIETY. 305 



near as loii^' ;is the same kiiitl of tree protected iioiii these trvin<i^ 

 circumstances. In like manner one sii))jected to very dry or very 

 wet influences, or anytliiu^' tliat is not tlie most f'avoraI>le to vefjeta- 

 tion. will not live as lon;j," as one which has everything" favorable 

 al)out it. Thus we see that all the hy})otheses named by our corres- 

 l>ondent may have an influence so far as they bear on this question 

 of vital ])()wer. climate, soil and mana^^ement- all relate to the 

 question. We could make trees live as lon*^' in Illinois as anywhere 

 else, but it would j)robably be at the expense of something we prize. 

 What we call culture is opposed to abstract laws of health in plants. 

 We want something Avhich nature unaided will not give us, and she 

 insists that if we will have it, it shall be at the exj)eiise of something 

 else. It may be we have the best of it, even with a shortened lon- 

 gevity. This is practical as against the abstract question." 



Ellwanger and Karry answer in this wise: '"The reason why 

 apple orchards on prairie soil at the west are short-lived is that they 

 grow fast and do not ri])en their wood well. 'Vlw consequence is in- 

 jury in winter, and this, followed u]) year after year, destroys vitality, 

 the center is all l)lack and dead with a living shell outside, which a 

 hard winter kills. In the eastern states where the a])ple tree is long- 

 lived, the soil and (dinuite are very different froni yours. All you 

 can do is to select hardy sorts and plant on dry laud. There are 

 orchards more than fifty years, yes eighty to one hundred years old. 

 in good condition in this country.'" 



T think this settles the question, fairly at least, touching the 

 comjiai-ative longevity of a]»ple trees in th<^ different localities of our 

 country, and the lease of life seems to increase the further we go 

 east — much longer in Ohio than here, and in Pennsylvania still a 

 little longer, but only in York State do they reacli the good old age 

 of one hundred years. 



Xow, in presenting a few thoughts on this subject, allow me to 

 say that the ai)ple we are now talking about is not indigenous to the 

 western hemisjihere, but is a native of Southern Europe and. ])erha])s. 

 Western Asia, and su(di is the botanical difference bi^tween this and 

 our native crab that they will not mix or hybridi/e, though they 

 will grow when grafted on each otlnr. So we see our apple is for- 

 eign-born, l)ut has become naturalized and seems well suited with 

 certain localities in its new home. Hut to expect it to floiii"ish. 

 wax old, and remain hale and hearty in all the trying situations in 

 our western country, is more than even apple nature can sulnnit to. 

 r think Meehan strikes the central truth in this matter wIkmi be 

 says: " What we call culture is usually oi)posed to abstract laws of 

 health in })lants.'" The word culture, as he uses it, means (diange, 

 and when we imjtrovc flu- (piality of a fruit, we usually ini|iiiir its 

 vital |)ower in some way. cither make it tender, short-lived, or rc(bicc 

 its i)earing (jualities. for it seems <'a( h tree or jdant is endowed with 

 a certain amount of vital force or powder, and in certain kinds there 

 20 



