258 PLAIN AND PLEASANT TALK 



ties be marked by their seeds, but they form, in connection 

 with the core, important elements of diagnosis of qualities. 

 A long-keeper, usually has a very small, compact core, with 

 few seeds. A highly improved and luscious pear, not unfre- 

 quently is wholly seedless; while fruits not far removed 

 from the wild state abound in seeds. Whenever a system 

 of description shall have been formed, we venture to predict 

 that the core and seed will be ranked at a higher value in it 

 than any one other element of discrimination and description. 

 The same neglect or casual notice is bestowed upon the 

 leaf. If anything about it is remarkable it is mentioned, 

 not otherwise : but is there a page of any book that Avas 

 ever printed, that has more reading on it than is on a leaf, 

 if one is only taught to read it ? It^ too, is not only a sign 

 of difference but very often of quality. Mr. D. has availed 

 himself of this criterion in describing peaches. Is it a legible 

 sign only in the peach orchai'd ? He that is ignorant of 

 these marks, and only can tell one fruit from another, is yet 

 in the a b c of pomology. Who but a tyro, on importing 

 Coe's Golden Drop^ would not at once perceive the imposi- 

 tion, if there was one, the moment his eye saw a bud, or its 

 shoulder ? Van Mons learned to select stocks for his experi- 

 ments, as well by the wood and bud in winter, as by the 

 leaf and growth of summer. In a large bed of seedlings 

 every experimenter ought to know by wood and leaf what 

 to select as prognosticating good fruit, and what to reject, 

 Avithout waiting to see the fruit. Nurserymen of our 

 acquaintance, without book, label, or stake, can tell- every 

 well-known variety on their grounds. One of our acquain- 

 tance never had a mark, label, stake, or register, of any 

 kind upon his ground ; a culpable reliance on his ability to 

 read tree-faces ; for, on his throwing up the business sud- 

 denly, his successor fell into innumerable mistakes. It is 

 just as easy for a pomologist to know the face of every 

 variety, as for a shepherd to know the face of every sheep 

 in his flock, or a grazier every animal of his herd. 



