'30 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURISi 



cicnt surplus to supply the English niarkets 

 in a short time. Perhaps this will come to 

 pass. A single barrel of some varieties will 

 go a long way. 



But we must continue our examination of 

 this fascinating article. " Probably half a 

 dozen trees have appeared at different places 

 bearing apples without seed. But these 

 trees would not produce trees that bore seed- 

 less apples." Our best records show how 

 seedless apples have appeared here and 

 there for at least 200 years. But there was 

 no associated press, and advertising facili- 

 ties were painfully inadequate in those days, 

 so that these seedless individuals lived only 

 as local curiosities and died for lack of in- 

 trinsic qualities and business enterprise. 

 There was an unusual outbreak of seedless 

 apples in 1904 — quite an epidemic, in fact 

 — but the Spencer creation (method new 

 and unknown) is the only one that caused 

 more than a ripple before the eye of the 

 horticultural public. 



As one reads this startling article a feel- 

 ing akin to the uncanny creeps over your 

 being. It says, when standing alongside 

 other pollen-bearing varieties, trees of this 

 variety bear " a small percentage of the 

 apples with one and sometimes two or three 

 seeds, but they (the seeds) are just as apt 

 to be in one part of the apple as the other. 

 For instance, he (Mr. Spencer) has found 

 a seed within one-eighth inch of the outer 

 peeling, far removed from its core." Won- 

 derful ! Marvelous ! Just think of a seed 

 travelling around in the flesh of an apple 

 like a needle in a man's body ! 



We learn further, in regard to the blos- 

 soms, that " there is a small quantity of pol- 

 len, also a stamen." This latter addition 

 would certainly be a very necessary and 

 antecedent attendant of the pollen. As to 

 the characteristics of the fruit, we are also 

 informed that these apples " grow as large 

 as the ordinary winter apple." He may 

 have had a Lady apple in mind ; or, on the 

 '"'her bind, he nla^• have meant a Falla- 



water. We are told that they are " red 

 when fully mature," " contain much juice," 

 " the tlesh is firm and they are excellent 

 keepers." An additional point of interest 

 to the consuming public is whether they are 

 good to eat. 



Here is a statement by Wx. Morgan that 

 I am inclined to agree with : " It has been 

 proved that the further we get away from 

 the original proposition (five trees) the 

 larger and better is the fruit." My own 

 notion that Mr. Morgan in England is just 

 about the proper distance from this " propo- 

 sition," and that Defore our American fruit 

 planters take second or third hand informa- 

 tion as loosely put together as this much- 

 quoted article, for horticultural gospel, they 

 should do a little thinking for themselves. 

 Before buying any of the stock now being 

 manufactured in the magic fashion hinted 

 at, they should see, taste and examine the 

 fruit. After this, buy for trial if you like. 



Before closing this review there is one 

 other quotation which should be made. It 

 is this: "By desire (of whom?) the above 

 record of the introduction of the coreless 

 apple into Great Britain will be filed by the 

 various state horticultural societies and col- 

 leges in America ; also in England, Ireland, 

 Scotland and Wales." Ho, ye secretaries ! 

 Sit up ! Hear the mandate and govern 

 yourselves according!}'. Speaking person- 

 ally and as secretary of the American Pomo- 

 logical society, I shiall wait for further in- 

 structions and information before filing a no- 

 tice of the advent of this pomological marvel. 



Now for a serious word in closing, while 

 ridicule is not argument, there are times 

 when it should be employed as effectively as 

 possible. The claims of the article are ab- 

 surd, inaccurate and impudent to a degree, 

 when presented through recognized pomo- 

 logical channels to a reading and thinking 

 horticultural public. What we should have 

 now are disinterested opinions of those who 

 have actually examined and tested this seed- 

 less wonder. 



