GENERAL FRUITS. 253 



Grapes.— Grapes have not as yet been* a success, owing to continued 

 growth of the vines in the fall and shortness of the season. 



Plums. — If the trees are mulched in the fall and headed low, the 

 Desota and Weaver will do well. 



Crabs. — The Transcendent has done the best of the many varieties that 

 have been tried, being free from blight in this locality. Next in hardi- 

 ness comes the Hyslop. 



Apples and cherries we do not consider profitable or a success, although 

 I have seen good samples of Duchess, Wealthy and Tetofsky apples and 

 Kentish cherry, in four or five counties In the valley. I am confident as 

 the country grows older and with proper care (heading the tree low, 

 mulching and cultivating), the hardy apples and cherries will be grown 

 here with moderate success. 



Our advice to farmers located on the prairie has been to first plant a 

 good forest protection around the plot intended for the building and 

 garden, then the small fruit and hardy crabs and plums will do well. 



As yet, the wheat industry of the valley overshadows all other interests; 

 but year by year the farmers are taking more pride in putting up good 

 buildings and in starting groves and fruit gardens, as they become able. 

 So it will be but a few years before the Red River Valley will compare 

 favorably with many of the older settlements of southern Minnesota, as 

 there are hundreds of good farm homes and small fruit gardens now in 

 every county bordering on the Red River. 



THE CROSSING AND HYBRIDIZING OF FRUITS. 



PROF. N. E. HANSEN, AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, AMES, lOAVA. 



This subject has of late years attracted much attention from western 

 horticulturists, as being one of great practical importance. It is the key 

 to the solution of many of our horticultural problems. The limits of this 

 paper will not admit of an exhaustive treatment of the subject, but only 

 of the brief discussion of some of the general principles and the most 

 promising lines tor future work. 



History.— The history of horticulture shows the wonderful results ob- 

 tained by this method in improving flowers, grapes and some of the small 

 fruits. Crossing and hybridizing may be regarded as a method of hasten- 

 ing the process of evolution by introducing new elements of variation; 

 and it shortens very materially the time required for the development of 

 improved varieties. With flowers, grapes and small fruits, results are 

 speedy, and, hence, the workers numerous. But with the orchard fruits 

 longer time is required, so accidental seedlings, with pedigree determined 

 by insects and the wind, have satisfied the wants of the orchardist. But 

 these varieties of the old list have proven worthless for the North^vest, so 

 we need to breed new varieties for our peculiar soil and climate. And, 

 as breeders of animals choose the parents, why should not breeders of 

 plants do the same? The indiscriminate sowing of seeds is an expensive 

 lottery. Let the example of the florists be followed, and results in devel- 

 oping fruits will be equally wonderful. 



Selection of Parents.— Over fifty years ago Lindley wrote: "Hy- 

 bridizing is a game of chance played between man and plants." But the 

 records now show that it is more a game of skill than chance. Workers 



