1882.J 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



45 



the pollen rcaclips the ovary of the pistil' 

 there can be no t'ertilizalioii, and consequent- 

 ly no seed or fruit. 



It is well known that seeds do not always 

 produce the same fruit as their parent, show- 

 ing that pollen is carried from other trees, by 

 insects or by the wind, or both. 



It is not at all straage, therefore, that by 

 planting seeds that have been fertilized by na- 

 ture the chances will be few and far between 

 of the .seedling being superior to its parent, 

 although such cases have occurred. Stoue 

 fruits reiiroduce their kind truly, more com- 

 monly than pip fruits. 



The object in producing new varieties is to 

 combine desirable qualities of both parents in 

 the progeny, on the same principle on which 

 stock-breeders operate, and we must admit 

 that they have more nearly attained their 

 ideal in that particular than horticulturists 

 have theirs. 



The former, however, have followed their 

 object i^ractically for a longer period than the 

 latter, who will, iu my opinion, eventually, 

 by judicious selection, breed out objectionable 

 and breed in desirable qualities in fruit, as 

 breeders of animals do in livestock. Let us 

 not be surprised some day to hear of thorough- 

 bred apples, pears, peaches, grapes, and other 

 fruits ; and that books of fruits, with iheir 

 pedigrees, will be kept as well as herd books. 

 The new and improved varieties of fruit pro- 

 duced by design by hybridization and cross- 

 fertilization are too recent to prove the above 

 assertions, for very few, if any, have been re- 

 crossed to test the theory of transmission. 



Is it not reasonable that laws which govern 

 the vegetable kingdom are as immutable as 

 those that govern the animal kingdom, how- 

 ever limited our present knowledge of the 

 subject may be ? 



In crossing a sweet fruit with an acid one, 

 we would reasonably expect the new seedling 

 to be sub-acid, but such will not certainly fol- 

 low. It is therefore of the highest importance 

 tliat those who propose to follow, or who are 

 now following, this very interesting business, 

 should search diligently ihe laws which govern 

 its proces.ses in all its details. 



For instance, the question may arise 

 whether the more vigorous plant or tree will 

 transmit more of its nature than the weaker 

 one; or, what will be the effect 'of applying the 

 pollen to the pistil as early as it can be made 

 effective, or as late as the nature of the case 

 will admit, or by applying the pollen in its 

 earliest available condition to the stigma as 

 late as it will admit, and vice versa; the results 

 of applying the pollen by sunshine or under a 

 cloud; the effect of wet or dry weather follow- 

 ing fertilization; also, whether the application 

 of fertilizers to the plant or tree while the 

 fruits, or the young seedling is growing, will 

 produce different results. Whether it will 

 ever fall to the lot of man to fully understand 

 the laws which govern this delicate process or 

 not, one thing is reasonably certain: that by 

 crossing two varieties of fruit of great excel- 

 lence, the resulting fruit will be superior to the 

 product of two inferior varieties. But how to 

 obtain the (pialities we may desire, by cross- 

 ing, is yet a hidden mystery. 



If, however, stockmen could breed oU" horns, 

 and almost reach their ideal in breeding beef, 

 milk, and butter strains into fixed types, may 



not fruit-growers attain similar results in the 

 vegetable kingdom by taking a thorough 

 course in Nature's school of experience V 



But whatever we may achieve, our calling 

 is a noble one ; and, with what hastwen done 

 in the past, and the progress being made at 

 present, our future looks bright. Let us 

 thank a Divine Providence that we were born 

 in the Xincleenth Century ! 



Our Local Organizations. 



LANCASTER COUNTY AGRICULTU- 

 RAL AND HORTICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY. 



Tlie Lnupasler County Aiiiicullunil Society met 

 statedly on Monday afternoon, March 6tli, in their 

 rooms in the City Hall. 



The following members were in attendance ; Jos. 



F. Wilmer, Paraditse ; M. U. Kendig, Creswell ; PI. 

 M. Ku^le, Marietta ; Calvin Cooper, BIrd-in-Hand ; 

 8. P. Eby, Esq., J. M, Johnston, city ; Casper Ililler, 

 Conestoga ; C. L. Ilunseeker, .Manheiin ; F. R. Dif- 

 fenderlTer, city ; Ephraim Hoover, Manheim ; J. C. 

 Linville, Salisbury; W. \V. Griest, city ; Enos H. 

 Weaver, Strasbur;;- ; John II. Landis, Manor ; John 



G. Kesh, West Will® .v. 



On motion, the reading of the minutes of the pre- 

 vious meeting was dispensed with. 

 Crop Reports. 



H. M. Eugle said winter wheat and grass look 

 well. The prospect for fruit is good. 



E. H. Weaver reported old clover as frozen out in 

 some places, but the young clover looks well. 



M. U. Kendig reported a good many sales of to- 

 bacco in his township at fair prices. 



Mr. Witmer thought the young clover was lifted 

 considerably; whether it will take hold again was 

 the question. 



H. M. Engle said this was generally the case when 

 young clover lields are pastured late and the follow- 

 ing winter is an open one. 



Apples — Local vs. Foreign. 



Calvin Cooper read the following essay on the 

 above subject : 



By the term foreign. I do not intend to convey the 

 idea that I allude to fruits brought from " foreign 

 countries," but varieties from other sections of our 

 OKU country. It is a well known fact that every 

 country has its native fruits, adapted to its own par- 

 tic'ilat' climjites, and w hen renioveil elsewhere, are 

 often so materially changed in appearance, Havor 

 and haliit, as to be almost unrecognizable, and in- 

 deed often (|Uite worthless. So changed, that rnanv 

 persons would as.sert they were entirely dilferent. 

 Although the change in location may not he very 

 great, yet there is a certain something in soil and 

 clitnatic inlluence so unsuited to its natural element 

 that nmii eaimot supply, and which we are unable 

 to account for. 



It will doubtless be asserted that continual changes 

 are taking place in all newly settled neighborhoods. 

 The removal of forests will, in itsell, bring about 

 changes not perceptible at the time. But as years 

 of time intervene we are enabled in our eoruparisons 

 of the seasons of former years witli those of the 

 later to percive such a material ditference as to 

 lead us to pause and query what has been the cause. 

 This may atTect,, to some extent, tlie local fruit of 

 each section. Nevertheless, I believe it isso gradual 

 as to be of little importance, as the power of the tree 

 to adapt itself to the surrounding circumstances of 

 its native place. 



The idea that I more particularly wish to impress 

 is the common error in brin.ing varieties of ai)ples 

 from distant parts of the same eonntry, or even the 

 same t>tate, and, I iniLrht assert, of the same county, 

 for, indeed, what might Ije considered first quality in 

 tlie higher altitudes of Xorthern Lancaster county 

 would be of little value in the southern section, and 

 vice versa. Althouirh they miglit be upon the same 

 degree of latitude, the natural elements of soil would 

 not supply there<piisite6 of its native locality. Then, 

 too, what would ll(»urish in the eastern section, along 

 the Mine Hill and Welsh .Mountain ridges, might not | 

 be worthy of cultivation in the fertile valleys of the 

 western end. It does not necessarily follow that a i 

 single variety will produce well and retain all its 

 good qualities in every part of its own locality. But 

 we have good reason to believe there is more cer- 

 tainty of receiving a good reward lor the labor in re- 

 moving sorts native tu each particular section, pro- 



vided, the same al'llude, degree of latitude and 

 natural asp<'ets he maintained, and even then excep- 

 ■ tioiis will oe<Mir. 



The grave error of our own vicinity might be 

 attributed to several causes. The high price of land 

 and a want of Interest by our agriculturists In 

 horlieulnne has cansed many to neglect their apple 

 orchards, as unprolitable, anil let the trees perish for 

 the want of proper nourishment and care ; some, loo, 

 have become victims "of the woodman's axe, and 

 what was onre the pride and crimfort of the iius- 

 liandinan, supplying health-civing luxuries to the 

 honsehohl, has been supplanted to the growth of a 

 noxious and poisonous weed. In conversation with 

 a neiirhbor who had cut down a nourishing orchard, 

 he said he could " buy his apples much cheaper than 

 he coiilil raise them;" an<I this was doublless true 

 in his case, and why? Because in the selection of 

 varieties he did as thousands of others have done, 

 was enthusiastic in his estimation and value of the 

 fine fruits that were then put in our markets, from 

 the northern part of (his State and central and west- 

 ern New York, where Baldwins, SpltzenheriiB, 

 Twenty Ounce, Tompkins King, (Jillyfiower, North- 

 ern Spy, K. I. (ireenings and dozens of others 

 nourished to [x-rfeilion, and idantcd mostly of such 

 sorts, doubtless thinking that they would produce 

 here equally well, never for a moment pausing to 

 'piery whether they might beunsuitiMl to this locality, 

 and 1 am not surprised from the results that you per- 

 haps have all oliserved that a lukewarrnness hag 

 been created in the interest of the orchardlst, and 

 since the transportation facilities are such that apples 

 of superior excellence can be brought cheaiily to our 

 markets from sections less valuable in agricultural 

 wealth, and find a ready market at reasonable prices 

 in the cities, while the poorer classes of the rural 

 districts are nbt supplied and often sulTer for lli". 

 health-giving juices of a well-ripened Smokehouse or 

 l\aml>o. 



I might enter an apology here for aiding In the 

 dissemination of varieties unsuited to our locality, 

 but the nurseryman, like all business men, is not ex- 

 empt fn>m occasionally dealing in humbugs, especi- 

 ally when the demand was for the varieties brought 

 to our markets from the northern districts above re- 

 ferred to. So great was the inquiry for the then 

 newer sorts that our usual supplies of some of the 

 older reliable stand-bys were left in the nursery rows 

 to be dug and burned by the thousand to make room 

 for other stock. 



This experimental mania has brought its accora 

 panying evil, and created a demand for new varie- 

 ties, generally following in the wake of their prede- 

 cessors, alter years of care and expectation, to be 

 cast aside for other novelties that in all probability 

 would meet witli the same fate. Thus from lists of 

 from twenty to thirty .it most, they are counted now 

 t)y the scores and hundreds to suit the varied fancy 

 oi' customers. Hence failures have become so numer- 

 ous iliat some look with distrust upon all, and aban- 

 don the enterprise as discouraging and unprofitable. 



Is there no remedy ? Can we not crow apples as 

 heretofore? I believe we can. Trees grow and 

 nourish as of yore, and we have many instances of 

 success iu all .sections when^ the proper cire has 

 been taken In the selection of varieties, and due at- 

 tention to cultivation, pruning and the application of 

 necessary fertilizers. I am fully convinced that every 

 planter in .■ieli^eting an apple orchard should first 

 consult some I'ruit irrower In his immediate neightjor 

 hood and ascertain what varieties arc doing best in 

 that section, and tlien plant nine-tenths of his 

 orchard with those known to do well (here. Kaihiret 

 would be the exception; the balance might bean 

 experimental plot of those promisiuL' well and not 

 fully 'ested. I do not, however, wisli to be under- 

 stood as disapproving of the introduction of new sorts. 



But I do protest against them being planted to 

 supersede old relial)le kinds, until thoroughly tested. 

 The prevailing liabit of planting a long list for the 

 siike (d' variety is not only vexatious to the nursery- 

 man, but brings disappointments after years of wait- 

 ing. I have frequei.tly supplied orders of fifteen or 

 twenty ti-ees with as many varieties, while a lesscT 

 number would doubtless have been much more satis- 

 factory after the trees had begun to hear, and the 

 planter learutd to his sorrow that the one half were 

 almost worthless. Not that there could not be that 

 many varieties selected as reliable. Bui the lists are 

 often taken from some distant nurseryman's cata- 

 logue whose glowing descriplions please the fancy of 

 the prospective fruit grower. 



To conclude, [ would most emphatically <liscour- 

 age the experimental mania lor varieties grown in 

 remote districts, e.Kcepl to a very limited extent, and 

 plant of those native to each particular section iu 

 connection with a few doiiiir well :renerally ; and I 

 would also caution all from bringing itort/iern apples 

 into xow/Zicr/t districts, expecting to gel a tate winter 

 keeper, uotwitlistandiiiir the fruit can be brought and 

 kept through llie winter. When grown where the 

 season is lunger, and the latter part of it often quite 

 warm, the fruit ripens too e.irly and begins to decay 

 before the cool weather sets iu. 

 Remarks. 



Casper Uiller said it was a fact that we can no 

 longer keep apples as we once could. What the 



