IMPROVEMENT OF SMALL FRUITS BY HYBRIDIZING. 



By Marshall P. Wilder, President American Pomological Society. 



Since the greatly increased attention which has been paid to small 

 fruits of late years, many new varieties have been introduced ; but 

 these have been mainly accidental seedlings. It is true that Dr. 

 Brinckle made some valuable experiments with the raspberry, produ- 

 cing excellent varieties ; and his example has been followed by other 

 cultivators, with the same fruit, and also with the strawberry, producing 

 some happy results, yet comparatively few and far between. 



We would not depreciate the results of the efforts of nature, for they 

 are too plain to be denied ; but is it not probable that the excellence of 

 what we call accidental seedlings is due to a fortunate cross of two 

 varieties, and consequently that the chances of an improved variety 

 from such a cross would be much greater if guided by the hand of the 

 skilful cultivator? Some cultivators have been sceptical as to the influ- 

 ence of artificial hybridization ; but we cannot doubt that the law of 

 progress, by uniting the good qualities of two races, holds good 

 throughout the animal and vegetable kingdoms, and our argument is, 

 that the best eflects are to be expected from the crossing of the best 

 varieties. In our own day we have witnessed constant improvement in 

 our large fruits, such as the apple, and still more in the pear, which 

 we think justifies us in anticipating an equal advance by the intermar- 

 riage of the improved varieties of small fruits, if but the same attention 

 is given to them as to the large fruits. 



Take the Wilson strawberry, for instance, famed for its productive- 



