88 



NEW ENGL.'^ND FARMER. 



Feb. 



the geese strutting at the front door or the pig 

 playing puppy in tlie entry? The proprietor of 

 such an ahode may call himself a farmer, but 

 practically speaking, he is ignorant of the a, b, c, 

 of the art, for the first tliree letters of the farmer's 

 alphabet are neatness, economy and order. 

 Ilarclwicic, D.c. 29, 1852. W.^lter JIandell. 



For tlie New England Farmer. 



ON PRODUCING FRUIT TREES FROM 

 SEEDS. 



This seems to many an uncertain business — be- 

 sides they want a quicker way. Others are will- 

 ing to take time to do anytliing the best way, if 

 they could know what that is. Others still go in 

 the beaten track, buy their trees to set of a nur- 

 seryman, and leave it for those who can afford it, 

 to ihiiik and make experiments. While the pomolo- 

 gist observes the uniformity of Nature's operations, 

 in every species and variety of fruit, leaf, blos- 

 som, branch and trunk; fruit, color, flavor and 

 time of ripening, hardiness and productiveness ; 

 learning tlie characteristics of each class and kind 

 " — constantly inquiring for her laws and produc- 

 tions, anddelighted with every new discovery, acts 

 with her, and with safety, certainly and success. 

 Now, Mr. Editor, for the gratification of this class, 

 and the benefit of all, permit me through your 

 columns to share with them tlie pleasure and pro- 

 fit I have derived, as a learner from Nature's 

 teachings. 



In past years, the country farmer used to select 

 his best apples for eating and market, and make 

 the rest into cider. The pomace was spread from 

 which to r.yse a nursery. Of course, these seed- 

 lings were of the poorest quality. The trees might 

 be hardy and g>Jod bearers, and grafting was re- 

 sorted to, for obtaining choice varieties, by the 

 most enterprising. Still, the best fruit was sold 

 or used for eating, never sowed ; and nurseries still 

 raised from the pomace of the poorer kinds, bud- 

 ding them when small, became at length quite a 

 business as the only way of securing desirable 

 fruit. Not unfrequently, scions o( different kinds 

 were set in one tree. In towns near the mar- 

 ket, (say Boston) more choice fruit was raised, 

 and sometimes a fair seedling was allowed to stand 

 and bear, and perhaps a new and valuable sort ob- 

 tained, say a Porter, by chance. Now supposing 

 (what I cimsider to be certain) that this seedling 

 was from a good apple, perhaps partaking the na- 

 ture of two kinds growing on the same tree or 

 near each other, one earlier than the other and 

 less acid, this would account for its difference in 

 flavor, and time of maturity. Suppose another 

 seedling resembling Baldwins in form and the hab- 

 its of the tree, but fruit of a different flavor, could 

 not this be produced from seed of a Baldwin ap- 

 ple, affected by anotlier whose flavor it partook? 



I have spoken only of apples ; but I think the 

 principle will apply to different species of fruit 

 trees, standing in proximity, and in blossom at the 

 same time. By mingling the pollen, the habits of 

 the tree and flavor of the fruit may be affected, 

 and thus while some of the original kinds, many 

 of new varieties may be produced from the seed 

 taken from orchards containing many kinds. 



Let it be observed, no tree can contribute to 

 produce seed different from itself. Good trees ming 

 ling can produce only good fruit. Two trees ming 



ling cannot produce more than one neiv variety. 

 Sweet varieties cannot produce sour, nor can early 

 apples produce late. Or diSerent varieties of win- 

 ter and sour mingling produce a variety of sweet 

 or early. So it is easy to see why valuable new va- 

 rieties of seedlings may be obtained from, or near 

 our market towns and cities, and the groat im- 

 probability of getting them from tlie pomace of 

 tlie poorest. 



:\gain,if as I suppose, seedlings far surpass en- 

 grafted trees in longevity, and are certain to have 

 a uniform character, which one budded or engraft- 

 ed may lack (by reason of difference between the 

 stock and scion, especially when one is early and 

 tlie other late,) thci-e are at least two reasons fa- 

 voring the seedling. If great improvements in the 

 haliits of trees are possible, probable, and as I 

 think certain, by combining hardy with delicate 

 trees, — the constant and large bearers with the 

 sparse — those of rapid growth and early maturity 

 with slow, late, &c., as well as the acquisition of 

 new and choice varieties, it would seem to accord 

 with the spirit of the age to attempt it, though 

 like many other discoveries, it might displace ex- 

 isting operations. 



I might shov.^ the analogy between this and 

 stock breeding and the evidence that "these things 

 are so" — not speculations, and give some tlioughts 

 I have had on ways oi protecting trees from ming- 

 ling, and of obtaining pure seed and choice varie- 

 ties for nurserymen as a business ■which, if de- 

 sired, I will give you in another article. 



Before closing, I wish to say something about 

 vegetables. 



For some years, I have been trying to improve 

 some kinds. The first attempt was with sugar 

 beet. Finding the French seed grew more than 

 half out of the ground, and that part was woody 

 when ripe, (tough) of little value, 1 determined, and 

 succeeded in three years to obtain a crop of equal 

 weight, grown under ground, all white and ten- 

 der with small tops. Next I set about a change 

 in my carrots, which, though very large, were 

 very tapering. I am much gratified with my 

 late crops. They hold their bigness remarkably. 

 I would like you to see some selected for seed 

 when I dug them (as I always do) and their size 

 A foot from the top; and to furnish seed, and one 

 carrot from each of three kinds. Orange, Purple and 

 White Belgian, from which to get a plate and ex- 

 hibit in the store and in your journal, that Yan- 

 kees might see the article from which the offered 

 seed was raised. 



Some years since, in pulling my English tur- 

 nips, (raised from imported seed) though a great 

 ^•ield, they run quite too much to tops with dish- 

 mg crowns. Finding one only, with a small top 

 and small root, shaped like two saucers put to- 

 gether, I preserved it for seed, and the next 

 year sowed what I got from it, among my pota- 

 toes, then beginning to be affected with disease. 

 They mostly died ; but I got 75 bushels of turnips 

 •'true to the seed." I saved and set out 8 bush- 

 els of the most beautiful I ever saw. This was 

 in Springfield. All who saw them admired them, 

 and spoke for some of the seed, which I circulated 

 freely at $1 the pound. Tops barely enough to 

 pull up the single root, not much bigger than a 

 pipe-stem. They were good as handsome. All 

 this goes to encourage me in selecting the best 

 roots and employing the best means possible, for 



