60 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



do were he to undertake the work with seriousness and for a series of 

 years. 



Prickly Pears (Opuntia sp.). 



In many parts of the state one or more species of prickly pears grow 

 spontaneously upon the dry soil, and in spite of the dryness of soil or 

 intense heat of the sunshine they produce their sweet and succulent 

 fruits. Would it not be a wise thing for us to seek to increase the sizo 

 and succulence of these fruits, since the plants are so well adapted to 

 the dryest and hottest of situations, and certainly there are many places 

 in the state, especially in the central and western portions, where such 

 plants alone can be grown. 



Ground Cherries (Physalis sp.). 



It is a curious fact that the only species of the ground cherry that 

 we cultivate came from Asia or South America, while we have neglected 

 our own wild species, some of which are very promising. I am convinced 

 that if we were to enlarge the size of the sweet berry to about double its 

 present diameter we should add another to our raiher short list of jam- 

 yielding fruits. The experiment is worth trying at any rate. 



Wild Tomatoes (Solanum nigrum, S. Triflorum). 



Although we commonly call these nightshades, they have been shown 

 to respond so easily to cultivation that they may well be called wild to- 

 matoes, although at the present time the fruits are very small, ranging 

 from a quarter of an inch to half an inch in diameter. Already the first 

 species under cultivation has enlarged its fruits to a full half-inch in 

 diameter. Under the name of "prairie huckleberries'' they have been 

 much advertised of late, and while the name is wholly wrong and mis- 

 leading, the fruits themselves are worthy of cultivation and still fuither 

 improvement. In time they may be made to yield as a tomato-like fi'uit 

 from half an inch to an inch in diameter. 



Ground Plums (Astragalus caryocarpus). 



All over the plains and prairies there may be found the earty flower- 

 ing and fruiting ground plums with their very succulent, few-seeded pods. 

 The spreading plants spring up each year from a hardy, perennial root, 

 and because of this fact they blossom very early in the spring, and pro- 

 duce their fruits very shortly after. It is commonly said that the early 

 travelers across the Plains used these fruits for food, cooking them as we 

 cook peas or string beans. As the plants are perennial, it will be very 

 readily seen that here would be a most decided advantage which these 

 new plants would have over all of our present peas and beans. 



There yet remain only a few nut-bearing trees, which are not com- 

 monly reckoned among those which bear fruits, and yet it must be' re- 



