210 STATE BOAED OF AGRICULTUKE. 



It might take ten generations ; it miglit take fifty or more. The early Barnard 

 peach and others are already partially on the road from varieties to races. 



On our most promising wild fruits Dr. Gray has a fine article in the Transac- 

 tions of the American Pomological Society for 1873. Some of these already 

 improved are strawberries, raspberries, blackberries. Some others which might 

 seem worthy of experiment are the persimmon, paw paw, wild crab-aj^jDle, wild 

 plum, ground nut, gooseberries, bush cranberries, haws, cranberries, huckle- 

 berries, butternuts, black walnuts, hickory nuts. 



Improvinq our hest Fruits. 



May not our quinces be much improved in hardiness and in quality? Also 

 may we not expect much in addition to what has been done in the hardiness, 

 yield, and keeping qualities of most of the fruits now cultivated? I shall refer 

 to this subject again. 



We hear now a good deal about improved buildings in which to keep fruit 

 well. 



Fresh apples in abundance for May and June and July Avill be a luxury well 

 worth trying for, especially if they can be afforded at reasonable prices. 



Our modes of preserving fruit in cans and by improved methods of drying 

 seem nearly perfection, but there is still need of more fresh fruits in all seasons, 

 especially of grapes. 



Degenerating Varieties. 



Perhaps we are doing enough of this already, certainly we are as far as profit 

 is concerned, for we still find scrub cattle and runty pigs, and poor grain and 

 vegetables. I have shown how rajiidly wheat may be improved. 



It seems to me of some interest for scientific purposes to sow the poorest 

 wheat or seeds of any other cultivated plant, and give them hard fare for a num- 

 ber of years, and so have them for a contrast. 



Two Plants Required to Produce Good Seeds. 



How far this is the rule I am unable to say, not having given much attention 

 to the subject. In case of chestnut trees, in 1875 one tree blossomed on our 

 grounds freel}', but no fruit was produced ; in 1876 two blossomed near each 

 other, and some fruit was perfected. In Coldwater, Michigan, on the place of 

 Mr. Schovill, a thrifty chestnut tree has stood alone and flowered freely for 

 some years, never producing fruit. At Galesburg, this State, Mr. H. Dale 

 Adams informs me, there is a large, lone chestnut blossoming annually, but 

 never yieldhig fruit. Both sorts of flowers are raised on chestnut trees in per- 

 fection. The same has proven true with single plants of Indian corn in some 

 cases. The above examples are probably not new to many of you. How far 

 this rule applies to our cultivated plants I am not able to tell, but certainly the 

 chestnut is not a lone exception, and perhaps the chestnut is not an exception 

 in all cases. Here is a fruitful field for valuable experimenting. 



Crossing and Hybridizing Plants. 



I have now^come to one of the most interesting and scientific portions of my 

 lecture. To understand and to be able to experiment on this subject, it is nec- 

 essary for a person to have some knowledge of botany. I have no right, how- 

 ever, to presume that a large portion of my hearers possess this knowledge. I 

 will briefly explain a few of the most essential points in the simplest possible 

 manner. 



