166 LUTHER BTJRBANK 



are those to be selected. But this is not by any 

 means as sure an indication of superior fruit in 

 the pear as in most of our cultivated fruit, for 

 the reason that Van Mons and other workers in 

 this line have mostly sought early bearing and 

 fine quality of fruit, neglecting the foliage and 

 growth of the tree almost wholly, 



THE EFFECT OF NEW BLOOD 



I grew great quantities of pear seedlings from 

 seed imported in 1884 from Japan. The selected 

 seedlings of this original stock have enormous, 

 glossy leaves, some of which for weeks after the 

 first frost show varied and brilliant colors almost 

 like the autumn foliage of the oaks and maples 

 of the Northeast. Many of the best of these 

 were distributed for planting as ornamental 

 trees. 



Very early in the experiments I found among 

 many seedlings of a cross between the Bartlett 

 and the hybrid Le Conte one that seemed to have 

 exceptional qualities. This proved to be aston- 

 ishingly productive of fruit of the largest size 

 and fine quality, and the tree had extraordinary 

 vigor of growth and was apparently imnlune to 

 the blight. 



But only one was selected as showing good 

 promise as a fruit bearer. Through further hy- 



