PROrAGATION BY SEEDS. 61 



imdiscriminating system 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 with rational, intelligent cul- 

 ture. 



What is the ordinary course ? To raise aj)ple seedlings, 

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

 out the least regard to the quality or matm-ity 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 con'fetitutions, and 

 from j)erfect, well-matured fruits ? By chance it may be ; 

 but seed collectors are usually glad to find fruits of any 

 Tcind^ 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 nm^sery- 

 man, for the nurseryman seldom asks any j^articulars about 

 the origin of the seeds. Plow 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 sound 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- 



