V 



210 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



GROWING SEEDLINGS TO IMPROVE THE APPLE AND 



PLUM. 



WYMAN Kl.I.lOT, MINNKAriH.lS. 



This is somewhat of a complicated proposition, and it seems 

 preposterous for one with so little experience in growing seedling's 

 for the improvement i^i certain desirable qualities to attempt giving 



practical information to many oi those present, who have had years 



oi experience. When we think of the efforts pul forth by such men as 

 Peter M. Gideon, John S. Harris, O. M. Lord, II. M. Lyman and 



many scores oi others in our own state and all over the world, who 

 have devoted a large part of their lives to improving the apple and 

 plum, what can he expected ol" an amateur whose knowledge oi the 

 scientific methods oi the present day is very limited? 



1 have watched the progress made in trying to improve the 

 hardiness oi the apple by growing seedlings with considerable in- 

 terest for the past thirty -five years, and the more 1 look at this 

 question the more I become convinced it is a very uncertain prob 

 lem. hut I believe the persistent effort now being made by so many 

 horticulturists will ultimately produce the ideal tree that will fulfill 

 all the requirements needed. Should we realize how many seedlings 

 oi real merit 11. M. Lyman has produced from the sowing of seed 

 from one year's product oi a certain Wealthy apple tree, we might 

 think it a very easy thing to improve fruit trees by the ordinary 

 haphazard seedling method. On the other hand, looking hack upon 

 the many years oi persistent effort by Peter M. Gideon and think- 

 ing oi the many years oi constant sowing of seed and the many 

 thousands oi seedlings worthless as to hardiness, growth oi tree, pro 

 ductivehess or quality oi fruit, we should feel it was a great under- 

 taking to secure all the requisite qualifications for fruit trees adapted 

 to the complex conditions oi this climate. 



frees and cions have been gathered from all parts oi the world, 

 and many seedlings have been grown, and the tree has yet to he 

 found that fulfills the requirements necessary to win the Si.ooo 

 premium offered by this society for a hardy, productive, long keep- 

 ing, high quality apple. 



If our stock breeders wished to produce a first-class animal 

 by using some particular crosses in breeding, they would study crit- 

 ically the many points oi excellence oi sire and dam ami their an- 

 cestors as far hack as possible. The pomologist attempting to im- 

 prove the apple or plum in any particular direction should pursue 

 a similar method, only in this case he has no long line i^i ancestral 

 pedigree to refer to that will give him the requisite information; 



