314 POMOLOGY 



and to the results of his manipulation of plants. Van Mons 

 worked entirely along the line of selection of the best from 

 each generation, but Knight was the first actually to cross- 

 breed fruits in order to secure better varieties. That his 

 conception of the problem was different from that of Van 

 Mons and far in advance of it is shown from the following 

 statement (1806) : "New varieties of species of fruit will gen- 

 erally be better obtained by introducing the farina of one 

 variety of fruit into the blossoms of another, than by prop- 

 agating any from a single kind." His investigations in- 

 cluded apples, pears, plums, peaches, nectarines, cherries, 

 and strawberries, and he produced several varieties of each 

 which were standard in their day. Hence to this early 

 worker is owed the beginning of real progress in the improve- 

 ment of fruits and the methods to be employed in securing 

 them. Knight spent considerable time in studying the dura- 

 tion of varieties of fruit. This work, while not entirely ger- 

 mane to the present subject, is worth recording, although 

 it is not now accepted. His theory may be briefly smnmarized 

 as follows: 



The life of a variety of fruit is about as long as the life of 

 the original tree which produced it; cions or buds taken from 

 the tree will not come into bearing until the original tree 

 bears fruit; and all trees propagated from the parent will 

 die soon after the death of the original tree. Or, in other 

 words, the life of a variety is about as long as the natural 

 life of the tree which produced it. 



This, then, is a brief statement of two of the most inter- 

 esting personalities in horticulture. It will be instructive 

 to contrast their views with some of the more modem theories 

 in the breeding of horticultural plants. 



278. Selection as a means of securing new fruits. — 

 The voluntary act of selection must enter into every method 

 of securing new or improved varieties of fruits. It refers to 



