236 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



cent, were fairly good grapes and some I thought very good. A good many 

 were white, some red and all intermediate shades of color up to black. Some 

 were quite early and some too late to ripen in this climate. But I did not see my 

 ideal grape among them; with a vine vigorous, hardy and productive, berry as 

 large as Wilder and as good as Duchess, and clusters weighing one, two or more 

 pounds each. I may not produce such a grape,, but some one will, I fully 

 believe, and at no very distant day. 



I have a lot of seedling Salems, Ives, Hartfords and Marthas to plant out 

 the coming spring; also seeds of Salem, Niagara, Iona, Catawba and Pock- 

 lington; seeds of Fay and Cherry currants; of Gregg and Cuthbert rasp- 

 berries; of May Duke cherry; and of some of the best of the seedling peaches. 

 With the product of some of them I hope to surprise you in the no very distant 

 future. 



The question of pollen influences is a vital one in connection with this sub- 

 ject. How long may the pollen be detached from the stamens or anthers, how 

 far carried by the wind or otherwise and still retain its vitality or fertilizing 

 power? Does the tree or vine whose seeds have been once impregnated by 

 pollen from an inferior sort forever retain a taint of that blood in its system, 

 as is the case in the animal kingdom? 



I have no doubt, if we could isolate our trees or vines as we can our live 

 stock, shut them up as it were, and so prevent impregnation from roadside 

 scalawags, we could in time establish certain strains or breeds which would be 

 just as certain to reproduce their kind as do our domestic animals, the Nor- 

 mans, Short-horns or Merinos. 



We can do much towards that end by planting only the best varieties and in 

 a,s large and solid blocks as possible and keeping all first seedlings and inferior 

 sorts at as great a distance as may be. Seeds taken from such plantations 

 would almost invariably produce a good fruit, with the chance that is always 

 before the experimenter in this line of producing a superior sort. 



Thomas Wilde of Cooperville said: It is a good thing to have a fair know- 

 ledge of the predominant qualities of every individual plant or tree with which 

 we experiment; such as constitutional strength or weakness, faults or virtues. 



In the selection of parent stock for the production of a new variety, we 

 should know something of its previous characteristics ; and we must keep 

 in mind that that there are seven requisites: first, vigor of plant and leaf; 

 second, fruitfulness; third, perfect blossom ; fourth, quality of the fruit ; 

 fifth, beauty; sixth, size; and seventh, texture. With all these things in view 

 much depends upon the skill and arrangement of crossing to produce the best 

 results. 



It is my impression, from the experience that I have had, that cross breed- 

 ing from the inferior small to the superior large is too severe; and that the 

 finest results can be obtained by crossing the best varieties. 



It is apparent that much may be gained by our finest varieties having a 

 pedigree; for by it our successors may take up our work after us, and go on 

 towards perfection. 



We need more workers in the great cause of progressive horticulture. 



W. N. Cook spoke of several varieties of peaches, the result of experiments 

 by J. D. Husted, of Lowell. They were the result of careful selection and had 

 high pedigrees. 



Pres. Lyon referred to bad effects from fruits going out and becoming known 

 by the originator's number instead of the proper name. 



