316 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
We have entertained the belief, that by hand pollenizing we could com- 
bine desirable qualities, insuring success. The theory sounds plausible, and, 
as I have shown, the process sometimes succeeds but more often fails, for 
reasons that we do not know, unless it be want of affinity. Mr. Burbank 
has experimented, in this direction, more largely than any one else and has 
produced a very few of great value out of thousands of trials, and he con- 
cludes that nature does better work than he can do. 
We may here refer to the seedling work of Mr. Gideon, with apples. 
Out of many thousands he found some good ones, but only one Wealthy. 
The question arises, must we depend upon nature wholly for improvement 
of the native plum? Is there nothing for the horticulturist to do? Yes, we 
can bring varieties together by seeds and by transplanting. That nature 
might never do. We can care for and plant seeds in such a manner that 
they will grow and make mature plants, where if left to nature not one in 
10,000 would mature. Note the immense number of seeds in many of the 
small fruits and consider the effect if they should all grow. We can modify 
the conditions of growth by grafting, budding and giving protection. We 
would like to dispense with its sourness when cooked; would like to increase 
the size of the fruit and to diminish that of the seed; to make the pulp more 
firm; to heighten the color; to make it proof against insects and fungous 
diseases; to make it better adapted to commercial use in carrying and keep- 
ing. Are all these things within our province? Yes, within certain limits, 
with the help of nature, with what we know and what we may learn, bearing 
in mind that with all our knowledge and all our scientific skill, we cannot 
make and verify even the seed of a Wealthy apple nor of a superior plum. 
Mr. Harris: The experience of Mr. Lord and a great many 
others would indicate that our native plums have at some time been 
under cultivation and have advanced from their natural condition 
until broken into thousands of varieties, and then it reverted back 
to its wild state more or less. Here and there there are varieties 
found along what were once great highways from the copper region 
to the sunny south, such varieties as the De Soto, Rollingstone, 
Weaver, etc. I do not presume we can improve those very much 
by cultivation, but if we are going to improve the plum we have 
to depend largely upon nature. Nearly thirty years ago I spoke 
of the time coming when we would have native plums as large as 
goose eggs, but it has got to be done very gradually. We can only 
increase from one seed in size and quality two generations. The 
only way we can do that is to take one variety that has good points 
and cross it with another good variety, and nature makes the crosses 
that man can seldom make. That is the line we have to work on. 
The President: If we cross two different varieties of any living 
thing, any biological specimen, the tendency is to go backward. 
Now take the Rollingstone plum. Out of all the crosses which 
nature made—and I think nature succeeds better than we do, be- 
cause nature is at work all the time, continually at work, and pro- ° 
duces thousands of specimens where we produce one—the Rolling- 
