IMPROVEMENT OF FRUIT BY CROSS-BREEDING. 



ver should study his subject point by point, put his thoughts on paper, and to this ideal 

 standard of perfection, he should constantly aim. This will save him from aiming at one 

 thing at one time, and another thing another time — and there is little doubt that his stock 

 Would shortly assume a decided character. 



Most important points to be attended to in selecting plants or animals, to breed from,* 

 are, that they shall be hardy, adapted to the climate, and free from disease. The certain- 

 ty of produce, and consequently the profit to be derived from fruit trees in a given num- 

 ber of years, depends much on their hardiness, and on the power of their blossoms to with- 

 stand spring frosts; and there are many facts on record which seem to indicate that dis- 

 ease is hereditary in the vegetable, as it is in the animal kingdom. 



The principal objects of cross-breeding are, to add vigor to the constitution; to modify, 

 or get rid of defects, and to combine many good properties in one individual, in the short- 

 est time. It is a common practice with the breeders of cattle, to obtain bulls now and then 

 from other herds, rather than to breed from generation to generation, from their own stock — 

 the object being, in some cases at least, to prevent the stock from becoming delicate — a 

 cross from another herd being found to invigorate the constitution. And Mr. Knigot, in 

 his numerous experiments to obtain improved varieties of vegetables and fruit, " found 

 that he obtained an increased vigor and luxuriance of growth when the fecundation of the 

 blossoms of a variety was produced by the pollen of another kind." 



Again, cross-breeding is resorted to with a view to obliterate defects, and to combine 

 many excellencies in one individual, in the shortest time. Supposing, for instance, a man 

 had a herd of Short-horns — good in all points, excepting that they were somewhat too 

 light in the hind quarters; he might, in the course of several generations, by culling his 

 animals to breed from which showed this defect the least, so improve his stock as to bring 

 it near to perfection; but, supposing instead of this, when made conscious of the defects 

 of his herd, he at once obtained a Short-horn bull, good in all points, except that it was 

 too full in the hind quarters, defective in the opposite degree; the result would probably 

 be that the progeny would be more symmetrical than either of its parents, perhaps more 

 so than if the bull had been perfect. Thus by onejudicious cross, a breeder might cause 

 his animals to attain a high degree of perfection in one generation, Mhich, if he had confin- 

 ed himself to his own stock, would have taken him several generations to accomplish. 



Until recent times — for it is but lately that the nature of the sexes of plants was clearly 

 understood, (Mr. Knight being the first I believe to turn this knowledge to practical ac- 

 count,) men had to take advantage of any deviation which appeared in their crops natu- 

 rally, or as the result of improved culture; and if the cultivator wished to perpetuate an 

 improved variety, or obtain others better, he grew and seeded the plants alone; and if any 

 seedling raised from it was better than the parent, that only was sown; seed from it sown; 

 the best again selected, and so on through successive generations. A practice similar, it 

 will be observed, to the breeding in-and-in of animals. Now, the practiced experimenter 

 having a distinct object in view, a certain standard of excellence to aim at, carefully ex- 

 amines his plants, not with a view to select one but several; he notes their power to with- 

 stand adverse weather; their habit of growth; the character of their foliage; the abun- 

 dance, form, substance, color, size and fragrance of their flowers; or the quantity, quali- 

 ty, size and beauty of their fruit, and the period it arrives at maturity. If he finds a 

 plant having one good point in perfection, and not remarkably defective otherwise, it is 

 suited to his purpose; he may cross this with another plant having a second good point, 

 tolerably good in other respects, and may thus combine the two good properties in one 

 ual. But if he could only meet with plants possessing these two good points, which 



