CHAPTER XXIV. 



Tree breeding and Origination of New Fruits. 



IN discussing this most interesting and important phase of 

 horticulture, I propose to do it along natural lines en- 

 tirely, leaving the field of plant jugglery and intentional 

 hybridizing to Mr. Burbank, who has proved himself an 

 adept in the business. However, it is much to be regretted 

 that his successes have been confined almost exclusively to 

 the least important of the tree fruits, the plum, nor has he 

 even in that line yet produced an all-round kind equal to 

 many of the old European varieties, all natural seedlings, or 

 to the Botan and Burbank, both imported natural Japanese 

 seedlings, also the latter having been named by Professor 

 Van Deman in honor of Mr. Burbank. In fact, while appar- 

 ently well adapted to the dry climate of California, nearly if 

 not all of Mr. Burbank's plum creations have proved a dis- 

 tinct disappointment in the eastern half of the United States, 

 and most of them a downright failure. I have fruited a large 

 number myself and seen, as well as eaten, others ; but for 

 beauty, health, vigor, productiveness and quality when grown 

 on sod, I have found none of them nearly equal to the old 

 Burbank and Botan. In quality, Botan, or Abundance as it 

 is often called, has long been considered the Japanese plum 

 " par excellence," cultivation seemingly having little injurious 

 effect, but it is a matter of common knowledge that the cul- 

 tivated Burbank is now a plum of inferior quality. Having 

 planted two nursery-grown trees here in my sod orchard six 

 years ago, I was so disappointed the second year that I top- 

 budded one with several kinds of apricots, but now, like the 

 Gonzales, the fruit on the other tree has been so improved 

 in quality by the preservation of its surface roots that I am 

 sorry for the change. But while Mr. Burbank has had a 

 large measure of success with the plum, it is a remarkable 



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