STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 407 



As my present purpose is to show that our surest way to the 

 highest possible excellence in fruit tree culture, is by systematic 

 and successive improvements in the growing, fruiting and selection 

 of seedlings, a brief notice of the progressive history of American 

 fruit tree culture may not be without some entertainment for those 

 who have not considered this subject. 



The original standard orchard trees of this country, as the apple, 

 pear, cherry, peach and plum, were nearly all imported from 

 Europe during colonial times, and some of them as late as in the 

 beginning of this century. As the expense of importing these 

 European trees, which were mostly of the best grafted kinds, was 

 greater than nearly all the New World farmers of that time could 

 afford to pay, and as these farmers generally desired the luxury of 

 orchards, they were compelled to depend for increase of trees upon 

 the planting of seedlings, which costing little, became very numer- 

 ous and extensive. The seedling fruits were, of course, generally 

 very inferior in quality as compared with those from the original 

 grafted European trees. The foreign importations of fruit trees 

 were chiefly from England, the native country of most of the colo- 

 nial settlers, to which must be added the lesser importations of the 

 German and French old settlers, and the importations of amateur 

 fruit growers, in later years. 



But the most interesting and important fact in this survey, is, 

 that if nearly all the colonial farmers had not been compelled by 

 their pecuniary necessities to resort to the growing of seedlings in 

 order to become able to plant any kind of orchards, the United 

 States would not have produced the great and most splendid vari- 

 eties of standard fruits, which now distinguish this country, above 

 all others for their superior excellence. From the vast number of 

 seedling orchards thereby introduced, all the best American varie- 

 ties were obtained, and by graftings, scattered broadcast throughout 

 the old states. With these graftings, and the consequent great 

 increase of commercial nurseries, the nursrymen were able to sup- 

 ply every demand, until it was discovered that the approved varie- 

 ties furnished by the old commercial nurseries were not adapted to 

 the climates of our extreme northwestern states. This was a 

 fortunate discovery for Minnesota. These more western states 

 are compelled by climate, as were the colonial farmers by pecuniary 

 necessities, to resort to the growing of seedlings to obtain the va- 

 rieties best adapted to our climates, and for the greatest possible ex- 

 cellence. In this grand work our North Star state is the pioneer, 

 has taken the lead and, I doubt not, will keep it, and achieve the 



