Vere t?ie JFruits made for Man, or did J fan make the F'ruits ? 363 



In grapes, at least,' we would have been gainers. Our five or six available species, 

 of which we are now just beginning to know the capabilities, would have given us at 

 least as many choice sorts and as wide a diversity as we now have of pears ; while 

 pears would be a recent acquisition, somewhat as our American grapes now are. Our 

 apples would have been developed from Pyrus coronaria ; might have equalled 

 anything we actually possess from Pyrus Mains in flavor, though perhaps not in 

 variety, if it be true, as Karl Koch supposes, that the apples of the orchards are from 

 three or four species. Our plums would have been the progeny of the Chicasa, the Beach 

 plum, and our wild red and yellow Prunus Americana, which have already shown 

 great capacity for improvement ; our cherries might have been as well flavored, but 

 probably not as large as they now are. But instead of peaches and figs, we should 

 be discussing manifold and most luscious varieties of persimmon and papaw, the former 

 probably equal to the kaki just acquired from the far east. As to strawberries, 

 gooseberries and currants, we should have lost nothing and gained something, as we 

 possess several species besides the European types themselves ; as to blackberries and 

 raspberries we should have been better ofi" than now, by the earlier development and 

 diversification of our indigenous species. And we might have had all our finest 

 strawberries a thousand or more years ago, these having come from our American 

 types, Fragaria Virginiana with its varieties (which, as well as the old world F. Visca, 

 occurs all across the continent,) and F. Chi/ensis which ascends the Pacific coast to 

 Oregon. 



Then we should consider how much earlier our race, with an American birth place, 

 would have been in possession of Tomatoes, of the Pineapple, of the Cherimoyer and 

 the other Custard apples, of the Star-apples and other sapotaceous fruits, of Choco- 

 late, of Lima Beans in all their varieties, of Pea nuts ; not to speak of Potatoes, 

 Sweet Potatoes, and "Jerusalem," (that is Gira-sola or Sunflower) Artichokes; the 

 last supplemented by our Ground-nut {Apios tuberosa) would have been the first 

 developed esculent tubers, and would probably have held their place in the first rank 

 along with Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes of later acquisition. 



Among the causes and circumstances which have given to the fruits of temperate 

 climates of the old world their pre-eminence, opportunity is one. How many poten- 

 tial fruits of value lie undeveloped in this country we know not, and more, shall never 

 know. They have lost their opportunity. Necessity, which is the mother of pomol- 

 ogy as well as of other invention, has been fully supplied out of other accessible, and 

 in some cases no doubt originally better materials. 



There are some, however, for which evidently " a good time is coming." Of these, 

 our wild grapes are foremost. They have such a start already, and seedlings, whether 

 from crosses or otherwise, can be produced and selected and reproduced in so short 

 a space of time, that they will probably have achieved their position when the Amer- 

 ican Pomological Society holds its centennial celebration. 



Blackberries, from Rubus villosus, are in similar case ; and if due attention be 

 paid to the Low Blackberry or Dewberry, and to the Sand Blackberry of New Jersey 

 and farther south, the foundation for a greater diversity of excellent sorts will be laid. 



As to Cranberries, already an important staple, increase of size and abundance of 

 production are all that are to be expected. It is easier to bring about improvements 



