PKOPAGATION BY SEEDS. 61 



undiscriminating sj'stem of propagation. The stock has 

 a most important influence on the health, longevity, fruit- 

 fulness, and symmetry of trees, and it does not seem pos- 

 sible that our indiscriminate mode of saving seeds for 

 stocks is at all consistent v^'ith rational, intelligent cul- 

 ture. 



What is the ordinary course ? To raise apple seedlings, 

 a quantity of pomace is procured at the cider mill, with- 

 out the least regard to the quality or matmity of the fruits 

 from which it was produced, or of the health, vigor, and 

 hardiness of the trees that bore the fruit — these points are 

 never thought of. So it is in the case of pear seeds. 

 During the last few years, these seeds have been nearly 

 as valuable as gold dust ; the price being seldom less 

 than $5 per quart. The present season, a neighboring 

 nm-seryman has paid at the rate of $4 per quart for a 

 bushel. How is this seed procured ? Is it selected from 

 healthy, vigorous trees, with sound constitutions, and 

 from perfect, well-matured fruits ? By chance it may be ; 

 but seed collectors are usually glad to find fruits of any 

 Mnd^ and from any sort of tree, if they have only seeds 

 apparently good. "We do not, by any means, intend to 

 charge upon any man a fraudulent intent in this matter. 

 The seed collector is no more to blame than the nursery- 

 man, for the nurseryman seldom asks any particulars about 

 the origin of the seeds. How is it with peach trees ? The 

 peach is a short-lived tree, highly susceptible of deteriora- 

 tion from bad treatment; and it is obviously impossible 

 for an unhealthy, feeble tree, to produce sourtd and healthy 

 plants from their seeds. In some districts of the country, a 

 sound, vigorous peach tree is a rarity ; and yet, how are 

 peach seeds saved and procured? The seeds are brought 

 in to the seedsman, he buys them without asking any ques- 

 tions about either the health or sickness of the trees that 

 produced them. They are peach stones, and that is all ne- 



