•:^8 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



editor of the Garden, the editor of the London Horticultural Magazine, Dr. 

 John Lindley, or Dr. McNab, of Scotland. The former set of authors be- 

 lieve that it is a legitimate part of acclimatization to produce new hardy varie- 

 ties, races, or hybrids from seeds. 



EXAMPLES OF ACCLIMATIOX. 



In this broad sense, every one must certainly believe that most plants, if not 

 all can be acclimated in a climate more or less uncongenial to them. One of 

 the most remarkable cases of this kind is Indian corn. All of our races of 

 corn have evidently been derived from one species. We have numerous varie- 

 ties of pop corn, sweet corn and field corn ; corn with long, pointed kernels, 

 or with round kernels, or indented kernels. We have kernels which are 

 hard or soft, red, yellow, white, violet, black or striped. "We have ears with 

 eight rows of corn, and from this up to thirty or more. We have ears of corn 

 varying in length from one inch to fifteen or sixteen inches, and stalks vary- 

 ing in height from twenty inches to sixteen or more feet. We have in the 

 United States corn which will ripen in ninety days, and other varieties which 

 require in the warmer sections six or seven months to mature. 



The cabbage {hrassica oUraced) also varies much, and has produced all sorts 

 of cabbage, early and late, all sorts of cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, etc. The 

 list of grains, vegetables and flowers miglit be indefinitely extended. The 

 examples of a difference in the hardiness of seedlings of trees is also familiar 

 to all of us. The Baldwin and Large Yellow Bough are tender in many por- 

 tions of Michigan, where tlie Red Astrachan and Ben Davis are hardv. 

 Examples might be given of a difference in the hardiness of pears, plums, 

 cherries, peaches, grapes, blackberries and other fruits. The same thing was 

 long ago noticed in tiie hardiness of seedling oranges in Italy. The previous 

 example and the next example are taken from Darwin's *' Animals and Plants 

 under Domestication," to which all are directed if they wish for further illus- 

 trations. 



Mr. Grigor states that seedlings of the Scotch fir f Finns Sylvestris), raised 

 from seed from the Continent and from the forests of Scotland, differ much. 

 The difference is perceptible in one-year-old, and more so in two-year-old 

 seedlings. Closely similar facts have been observed with seedling birches. 

 Pomologists of Iowa and Minnesota are raising seedling fruits some of which 

 are hardier than the parent plants. 



AN" ope:n" question. 



In striving to obtain seedlings better adapted to any peculiarity of climate, 

 I cannot find that any experiments have been made to decide the following 

 point: Shall we plant seeds raised in a more congenial climate, or shall we 

 be more likely to gain the point desired by planting seeds raised in the climate 

 for which we want suitable trees or shrubs ? I should expect the results would 

 be more favorable by planting seeds grown in the same locality, or, still better, 

 in one with a similar climate a little distance away, provided the seeds were 

 from tolerably well-grown and healthy specimens of fruit. 



Before closing, I will briefly refer to the matter of attempting to acclimate 

 specimens of trees or plants. For example, we often hear people speak of 

 acclimating a certain individual young evergreen tree. As we have seen, there 

 is probably no such thing as acclimating a single tree or plant. We can plant 

 it in the most favorable spot at our command. Tlie soil should be of suitable 

 texture and well drained. The cultivation should be such that the tree may 



