42 AMERICAN POMOLOGY. 



planted them to stations where they could develop them- 

 selves. When they fruited, even if indifferent, if they 

 continued to give evidence of variation, the first seeds were 

 saved and planted and treated in the same way. These 

 came earlier into fruit than the first, and showed a greater 

 promise. Successive generations were thus produced to 

 the fourth and fifth, each came into bearing earlier than 

 its predecessor, and produced a greater number of good 

 varieties, and he says that in the fifth generation they 

 were nearly all of great excellence. He found pears re- 

 quired the longest time, five generations ; while the apple 

 was perfected in four, and stone fruits in three. 



Starting upon the theory that we must subdue the vigor 

 of the wilding to produce the best fruits, he cut off the 

 tap roots when transplanting and shortened the leaders, 

 and crowded the plants in the orchard or fruiting grounds, 

 so as to stand but a few feet apart. He urged the " regen- 

 erating in a direct line of descent as rapidly as possible 

 an improving variety, taking care that there be no in- 

 terval between the generations. To sow, re-sow, to sow 

 again, to sow perpetually, in short to do nothing but sow, 

 is the practice to be pursued, and which cannot be de- 

 parted from ; and, in short, this is the whole secret of the 

 art I have employed." (Arbres Fruitier^.) 



Who else would have the needed patience and persever- 

 ance to pursue such a course ? Very few, indeed es- 

 pecially if they were not very fully convinced of the cor- 

 rectness of the premises upon which this theory is found- 

 ed. Mr. Downing thinks that the great numbers of fine 

 varieties )f apples that have been produced in this coun- 

 try, go to sustain the Van Mons doctrine, because, as he 



