HORTICULTURE. 5")9 



ries, and the like, is noted. To show the obverse, how difficult it is to 

 improve fruits which are not forced upon us, the attempts to introduce 

 huckleberries, various nuts, etc., are noted. The introduction of new 

 types of fruit for which there is no apparent necessity is generally a 

 forced effort. A number of specific illustrations of the origin of the 

 cultivated varieties of grapes are given to show that in most cases the 

 new forms are chance discoveries. The author believes, however, that, 

 in the improvement of plants, an intelligent choice of kinds has played 

 au important part in the past and will play a more important part in 

 the future. 



Contrary to the opinion of many writers, the author believes that the 

 introduction of new types of fruits, while important, is less so than the 

 improvement of types already introduced and that with the introduced 

 types the most promising results are to be looked lor through the fur- 

 ther improvement of the forms already highly improved rather than 

 through work with the original wild stock. Plant breeders should 

 work along the line of natural evolution rather than against it, endeav- 

 oring to intensify the desirable characters which already existed in the 

 wild sorts. It is thought that there are needed more special purpose 

 varieties of all fruits, more widely unlike varieties, and more minor 

 strains of the most popular ones. The native grapes, in the estimation 

 of the author, need first attention, the native plums next, then the 

 native raspberries and blackberries, and next the amalgamation of 

 western crab apples with domestic apples, etc. 



Notes on fruits, E. S. Goff ( Wisconsin 8ta. Bpt. 1896, pp. 210-232, 

 figs. 11). — Xotes are given on the Conrath Early raspberry, the Dwarf 

 Rocky Mountain cherry, the gonad, and a number of varieties of apples, 

 plums, and grapes. The quality of americana plums was found to vary 

 considerably in different seasons. With the deficient rainfall of 1894, 

 the trees produced a larger crop than the following year and the fruit 

 was of poorer quality. This was especially noticeable with the Wyant 

 plum. The fruit from several trees in 1894 was so astringent as to be 

 nearly worthless, while the following year the same trees produced an 

 excellent quality of fruit with hardly a trace of astringency. 



The author believes from comparisons made in 1895 that in quality of 

 fruit the best varieties of americana plums, such as Rockford aud 

 Ocheeda, have some points of superiority over some of the best domes - 

 tica varieties. 



Miscellaneous horticultural -work, E. S. Goff ( Wisconsin Sta. 

 Ept. 1890, pp. 233-212).— The study of the fertility of the flowers of 

 native plums previously reported (E. S. K., 8, pp.309, 692) has been con- 

 tinued during the past year. A table is given showing the percentage 

 of perfect pistils in the blossoms of 13 varieties of plums in the years 

 1894, 1895, and 1896. 



With reference to the plum curculio, the author considers that the 

 "jarring process*' is not a complete remedy aud that in addition to it 

 all infested fruit should be promptly gathered and destroyed. 

 11931— Ko. 6 5 



