160 [Assembly 



product of America. Of pears and cherries, the greater number of 

 choice kinds have been imported from Europe. 



I will now proceed to the second part of ray subject, and notwith- 

 standing my esteemed friend Thomas Bridgeman, Esq , has with 

 ability and good judgment brought the subject of seedlings under the 

 notice of the managers, yet I shall not refrain to state all I intended 

 to do before I received Mr. Bridgeman's able report. 



I am aware when a jvord of caution is to be spoken, or an error 

 pointed out, that it should be done with candor and kindness; in that 

 spirit the following remarks are submitted on 



Seedling Fruits. 



My object is to point out an error, may I not rather say a weakness 

 on the part of some cultivators of fruits, to over-rate their own produc- 

 tions ; more especially so when they raise a seedling apple, pear, 

 plum, peach, or cherry, having any pretension to merit. If their 

 production is of the best quality and professes but a single point of 

 superiority, say only a shade of color, or a slight increase of size, 

 in addition to the good qualities of the most choice variety of that 

 class of fruit in the present catalogues, that alone will commend it to 

 other persons and they will meet out its praise in due season. 



No seedling should be recommended for extensive cultivation until 

 it shall have proved superior in some respect to the variety it most 

 resembles. For instance: if any person shall raise a seedling plum 

 one-fourth larger and equal or superior in flavor, more beautiful in 

 its appearance, and more productive than the Green Gage, then the 

 new variety would soon find its way into every good collection of 

 plums. The same remarks will apply to the Newtown Pippin apple. 

 The person who shall be so fortunate as to raise a seedling apple of 

 equal flavor, better color, the tree more thrifty and productive than 

 the green Newtown Pippin, will have accomplished something wor- 

 thy of record and a name. But cultivators, like young, fond moth- 

 ers, are apt to consider their production to be a "none-such:" time, 

 alas! often convinces them of their mistake; and, when too late, they 

 find they have only deceived themselves. 



This subject, fraught with so much to benefit the community, if 

 properly directed, is worthy the supervision of the managers of the 

 " American Institute." I therefore hope, and would respectfully re- 

 commend, that it have their continued fostering care and attention. 



