92 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



that manures should not Ijc exposed to the air, but should be 

 incorporated with the soil as soon as laid out ; whereas, we 

 have now the opinion of cultivators and chemists in favor of 

 exj)Osure to the air and other external agents of decomposi- 

 tion, and that it is not a source of nutrition to the plant, until 

 it is thoroughly decomposed. This opinion is certainly corrobo- 

 rated by the practice of skilful gardeners in all past time, who 

 will never use green manure in the potting or cultivation of 

 plants, and only that which has become old and fine." 



Although Mr. Wilder seeks for all the novelties of the 

 orchard, his experience long since led him to the belief that we 

 must look to our own seedlings, as a general rule, for the fruits 

 best adapted to our location. His maxim is — " Plant the most 

 mature and j^erfect seed of the most hardij, vigorous and valu- 

 able varieties, and, as a shorter process, insuring more certain 

 and satisfactory results, cross or hybridize your best fruits J' 



Acting under this impression he has a large number of 

 seedling pears which have been produced from the best sorts in 

 his collection, some of which have already borne fruit. His 

 method of hastening their progress, is to engraft the seedling 

 wlicn it is only a year old, on a strong, thrifty branch, or on a 

 mature stock. We saw shoots of these more than two feet in 

 length, from seeds that had been sown the previous year. By 

 this process the seedlings attain a strong, vigorous habit, and 

 have plump, mature buds. These are then worked on the 

 quince stock, which brings them early into a bearing state. 

 Although Mr. Wilder advises the sowing of seeds which have 

 not been artificially impregnated, yet he would encourage the 

 crossing of the best varieties, where the cultivator has time, 

 patience, and skill, the result of which will be more certain 

 and expeditious. As an illustration of this principle, we may 

 point to the great success of Mr. Wilder more than twenty 

 years ago, in the application of this delicate and beautiful art 

 to the hybridization of the Camellia, and by which he obtained 

 the celebrated varieties of C. AVilderii and Mrs. Abby Wilder, 

 and others which have not been surpassed to this day. 



Mr. Wilder showed us, also, a large number of seedling, 

 grape-vines which had been produced by the process of cross- 

 ing. Some of these are expected to show fruit next year. He 

 entertains the opinion that no country is better adapted to the 



