MUTATIONS 



but 53 bushels." The Eureka was produced in exactly the same 

 way in 1877. In 1879 Rioter and Farmer's Glory were also 

 produced from berries growing on the Wilson, and Gold Dust 

 and Primordian from berries growing on the Dorchester. The 

 Gold Dust was remarkable for the fact that its entire crop ripened 

 within a period of four days. It was thus distinct from all other 

 blackberries in at least one important character. 



The Sterling Thornless arose as a chance seedling of the 

 Wilson on thp farm of John Sterling at Benton Harbor, Michigan. 

 It is, as its name indicates, destitute of thorns, and is a distinct 

 mutation, to be carefully distinguished from other strains of 

 thornless blackberries, which, according to Bailey, are " specific- 

 ally distinct from the common bush blackberry." 



Plums. 1 According to Bailey not a single commercial variety 

 of plum has ever originated from the native stock of New Eng- 

 land, New York, Pennsylvania, or Michigan. This is partly 

 because the European sorts thrive well and partly because the 

 natives of this region " are less prolific of large-fruited forms than 

 those farther west." 



Some excellent varieties have arisen, however, from native 

 stock elsewhere. The Miner was produced from seed of native 

 stock planted in 1814 by William Dodd in Knox County, 

 Tennessee. The Robinson was a seedling from North Carolina 

 stock. Wayland " came up in a plum thicket in the garden 

 of Professor H. B. Wayland of Cadiz, Kentucky," and was 

 introduced about 1876. The Missouri apricot was found wild 

 in Missouri. The Golden Beauty was found in the same way 

 in Texas, the Pottawattamie in Tennessee, and the Newman in 

 Kentucky. 



The Wolf originated from seed gathered from wild trees in 

 Iowa. The Rollingstone was found on the bank of Rolling- 

 stone Creek, Minnesota, and the Quaker was found wild in Iowa. 

 Literally scores of well-defined varieties have arisen from native 

 stock. It would be too much to say that none of these are hybrids. 

 Undoubtedly many of them are the product of crossing, but this 

 origin cannot be consistently claimed from chance seedlings 

 found in a thicket of ordinary wild stock. Mutation, whatever 



1 Bailey, Evolution of our Native Fruits, pp. 170-226. 



