446 Programme of a Prize offered by the 



Art. ITT. Programme of a Prize of one thousand Francs^ offered 

 by the Royal Horticultural Society of Paris, with the view of 

 obtaining, by means of a repetition of the Experiments of Van 

 JWons, and also by any other JMethod pursued ivith Seeds, the 

 Improvement of the varieties of Apples and Pears. Translated 

 by A. J. D. 



Our worthy colleague, M. Poileau, with his usual talent, has 

 developed the theory of Professor Van Mons, on the ameliora- 

 tion of fruits; particularly apples and pears. According to this 

 learned Belgian pomologist, we are not to endeavor to obtain 

 new varieties by means of the graft, that method only serving to 

 propagate the qualities already acquired. Such is the universal 

 opinion upon this point; every one is also agreed that the creation 

 of new varieties can only take place by means of the seed. We 

 have likewise thought, until this time, that success would follow 

 with greater certainty, if the seeds planted were gathered directly 

 from the most improved varieties. 



According to M. Van Mons, on the contrary, by sowing seeds 

 of fruits already in an ameliorated state, we can only obtain wild 

 or nearly wild varieties, which, however, after successive genera- 

 tions, will produce fruits progressively ameliorated. It is there- 

 fore by sowing the seeds of fruits, which have in this way re- 

 turned to their original or primitive state, that we shall begin to 

 discover some improvement which will be more increased and 

 decided in proportion to the number of generations: which fol- 

 lows necesarily, as the first sowings produce only wild or indif- 

 ferent fruit. The seeds of these last produce trees, the fruit of 

 which show symptoms of improvement — the next generation 

 give still more ameliorated fruit, and so on continually. 



It follows, therefore, that the horticulturist, according to M. 

 Van Mons' theory, ought not to expect to obtain at once an ex- 

 cellent new variety. Nature demands a longer period: her grand 

 principles are patience and time. 



Following M. Van Mons' practice, the trees of the first sow- 

 ing must be cultivated with care, and those especially, " which 

 exhibit a handsome form, a smooth and shining bark, branches 

 regularly distributed and proportioned to the size of the tree, 

 young wood striate, a little twisted, breaking short without 

 splinters, the wood large and short, thorns long, shoots furnished 

 with plump well formed buds throughout their whole length, buds 

 reddish or grey, lying close and not diverging, leaves smooth, 

 borne upon footstalks rather long, the young ones remaining erect 

 like the shoots for a long time, the lower ones hanging down and 

 somewhat hollowed in their outlines." 



