No. 5. 



Ag. Soc. of Prince George Co., Md. 



157 



the multiplication and improvement of the 

 various fruits originated with himself. And 

 had it not entered into the conception of 

 that extraordinary man, in all probability it 

 would have continued to this day locked up 

 among the arcana of nature. No predeces- 

 sor had left a ray for him to begin with. 

 The lights of science could not be called 

 in to his aid. It was only to be demon- 

 strated by unwearied perseverance tlirough 

 the protracted and inexplicable operations of 

 nature. It was the suggestion of his own 

 mind. The result of his experiments has 

 established an important era in the history 

 of fruits. Van Mons ascribes the success of 

 his experiments, by which so many fruits of 

 such great merit were obtained, to this prin- 

 ciple: That in proportion as a fruit becomes 

 removed from a state of nature by repeated 

 regeneration — that is, by always planting 

 the seed of the last production — in the same 

 degree will the fruit become ameliorated, 

 until it attains the highest perfection of 

 which it is susceptible. In the application 

 of this principle, he has ascertained that the 

 Pear, when raised from the seed, requires 

 seven generations to arrive at its highest 

 perfection. The first generation, or the pe- 

 riod from planting the seed of the domesti- 

 cated pear, to the time of its first fructifica- 

 tion, required a period of fifteen years. The 

 second generation embraced a period of ten 

 years; and so on with the period for every 

 successive generation in a decreasing pro- 

 gression. The whole period to accomplish 

 his theory requiring about forty years. 



The Apple, upon the same principle, re- 

 quired a period of four generations. The 

 Peach, Apricot, Plum, and Cherry, required 

 three generations. From the astounding 

 results growing out of the experiments of 

 this man, we have a legacy bequeathed to 

 us, which affords us an advanced position, to 

 prosecute our experiments with a certainty 

 of success. It will be the privilege of future 

 generations to determine the limits that na- 

 ture will go in the amelioration of fruits. 

 In illustration of this theory: who, for in- 

 stance, could detect the relationship between 

 the delicious class of Beuerres and the little 

 austere wild pear, which grows spontane- 

 ously in your field 1 What resemblance can 

 you trace between the magnificent Gage 

 Plum and the savage Sloe; or between that 

 king of apples, the Golden Pippin, and the 

 sour Crab? And last, though not least, who 

 could recognise in the native Strawberry 

 the type of that splendid variety denomi- 

 nated Hovey's Seedling. But as astonish- 

 ing as these transmutations are, they have 

 been produced by this ameliorating process. 

 I have enumerated these seminal produc- 



tions to show that the Pomologist has been 

 richly rewarded for the prosecution of his 

 employments. Time will be usefully and 

 honourably occupied in the origination and 

 introduction of fruits based upon these theo- 

 ries. This pursuit recommends itself strongly 

 to the young — and to create a taste for it 

 should be the effort of those who feel an in- 

 terest in their happiness. Children soon be- 

 come deeply interested in employments of 

 the garden or field, and acquire a stability 

 of character and firmness of purpose which 

 enable them to resist the seductive influences 

 of vice; and in future time, as you examine 

 the annals of natural science, you will find 

 their names recorded as distinguished pa- 

 trons. 



But of the diversified productions of the 

 field and garden which it is our privilege to 

 enjoy, few are indigenous to America. Of 

 the cereal grains, for instance : Wheat and 

 rye were originally brought from Siberia ; 

 buckwheat from Asia; rice from Ethiopia. 

 Of our vegetable productions: The arti- 

 choke from Brazil ; the cauliflower from 

 Cyprus; asparagus from Asia; the pumpkin 

 from Astracan; the ruta baga from Sweden; 

 and the tomato from South America. Our 

 fruits from countries equally remote. The 

 pear came originally from Europe; the 

 peach from Persia ; the apricot from Arme- 

 nia; the plum from Lyma; the cherry from 

 Pontus; the quince from Austria; and the 

 almond from China. It is evident that in 

 the distribution of the bounties among the 

 various nations of the earth. Providence has 

 designed to show us our mutual dependence 

 upon each other. In the discharge of the 

 obligations imposed on us for these blessings, 

 we should disseminate those productions of 

 the garden and field extensively. For all 

 men will cat fruit, says Sir William Tem- 

 ple, so that the choice is only whether one 

 will eat good or ill — and of all things pro- 

 duced in-a garden, whether of vegetables or 

 fruits, a poor man that has one of his own, 

 will eat better than a rich man that has 

 none. And I rejoice to say that a poor man 

 has the privilege of enjoying those luxuries 

 almost in an equal degree with the rich 

 man. 



" Be active, be active — 



Find something to do, 

 In digging a clay bank 



Or tapping a shoe. 

 Don't stop at the corners 



To drag out the day — 

 Be active, be active — 



And work while you may. 



