1871 



THE WESTERN POMOLOGIST. 



51 



For the Wf!*teni I'unuiUiyist. 



RalMliig New Seedling' Friiltx. 



By a. M. Burns, Manhattan, Kan. 



I do not favor the distriluition of new seedlings, 

 unless to test in diflerenl localities; but I am in 

 favor of trying to originati' better varieties of all 

 kinds of fruit than we have, and when thoroughly 

 tested for j'ears, if found an acquisition and so 

 proncninced by intelligent horticulturists, then it 

 may be proper to disseminate it. Let every one 

 plan seedlings for their ow« use, and in so doing 

 learn whether any would be worth multiplying. 



My plan is this : — I have a blufl' on which there 

 are several acres of unocccpied land. It is covered 

 with prairie grass, and some of it is too stony to run 

 a plow. I have several hundred seedling blackber- 

 ries, from seeds obtained ten or twelve years ago. 

 I planted a tea-cup of seeds in the woods, as I had no 

 ground then jirepared. I have never been al)lc to 

 test the fruit fairly, as the berries are always taken 

 by birds before ripe. I intend to dig holes on this 

 bluff, which is of very rich soil, and plant these 

 loild blackberry roots, and mulch the ground 

 so as retain the moisture, and kill the prairie grass. 

 I do not e.xpect to realize as much money from these 

 seedlings as I would if I planted some w^cll known 

 variety, but I exp 'ct to make enough if not more, 

 than will defray all expense, und at the same time 

 have an opportunitj' of knowing w'hetlier any of 

 them possess merits over the cultivated varieties. If 

 any out of the hundreds prove superior in quality, 

 productiveness and hardiness after some years of 

 trial, then the number can be increased. I notice 

 that some of tliese seedlings are earlier than the 

 Wilson, although the sun never strikes them, yet 

 their quality, productiveness and hardiness cannot 

 be known until they are grown under more favorable 

 circumstances than when continually in the shade. 

 I recollect that some luscious wild blackberries were 

 produced in Pennsylvania, and these are seedlings 

 from them, and when transferred to a richer soil 

 and warmer climate than where their parent stock 

 was grown, some qualities may be develoijcd that 

 were unknown to the original ones. 



Now, how many readers of the Western Pomol- 

 OOI8T, like myself, have some ground that could be 

 devoted to testing blackberries and other small 

 fruits? The fruit, especially where fruit is scarce, 

 will pay for the labor of planting and cultivation, 

 so that nothing is lost, while the result migJit be 

 great gain to the country as well as to the experi- 

 menter. The larger the number of roots planted the 

 greater will the chance be for success. There is no 

 man owning live acres of ground who could not try 

 half a dozen of several species of fruit, while thou- 

 sands could experiment with liundreds. No man 

 could be less successful than myself. I have planted 



thousands of seeds the laist fourteen years and have 

 produced but a single plant that I considered worthy 

 of sending out to have tested in different localities. 

 It is a raspberry, which is earlier, sweeter and 

 more juicy than the Doolittle! It is on the north 

 side of a hill and shaded a portion of the day, has 

 never been killed by frost. I have not fruited it 

 along side of the Doolittle in an open exposure 

 where it might have sunshine all day, but expect to 

 do .so soon. ' It may then prove entirely worthless, 

 but in its present location I consider it worth multi- 

 plying. Now, cannot some others who have never 

 thought of the subject before, plant some seeds and 

 experiment. It is an interesting employment, and 

 may result in great good. ; 



I have no doubt but that in places where "wild" 

 blackberry canes are numerous, hundreds, or at least 

 dozens of the wild ones would, under cultivation, 

 prove as hardy, more luscious, and as prolific as 

 many of the well known cultivated varieties do at 

 the present time. 



Those who have had no experience in testing 

 blackberries should understand that some of the 

 "wild blackberry" plants, when transplanted and 

 cnlttvated may bear well for a few years and give 

 satisfiiction as to quality and productiveness, and 

 then deteriorate — at least such has been my expe- 

 rience, and therefore should not be disseminated 

 until after years of trial. It is for this reason that I 

 think the Kansas State Horticultural Society acted 

 hastily in rejecting the Lawton. I have no doubt 

 but that the Kittatinny will succeed, yet we have 

 not had sufficient experience with it to justify us in 

 rejecting it so soon. In rejecting the Kirtland rasp- 

 berry I think the same Society was too hasty. It 

 should have been put on the list for trial until the 

 members had some experience with it. It is with 

 me an excellent fruit, although I have not had it 

 very long in bearing. So well pleased with it am I, 

 that my plants for a few years will increase as fast 

 as I can make them. 



XUe Hanrtliornden Apple. 



Ed. Pomologist : Allow me to ask why, among 

 all the apple talk in the Pomologist, and in the 

 horticultural I meetings, nothing is said about the 

 Hawthornden. My experience is that no other va- 

 riety is better suited, or more valuable for new be- 

 ginners of orchards. It is a fine apple, a little below 

 medium in size, pretty sharp acid, good for cooking. 

 Tree bears very young and full — not excelled in this 

 respect, I think, by any other apple tree. I believe 

 it stands first of all for bearing youfig. Those who 

 plant trees — new beginners in particular — are anx- 

 ious to have returns in the line of fruit. I have 

 what may be called a good sized orchard, and for 

 early bearing and good crops the Hawthorndwn 

 stands number one. You talk of the Wagner, Ben 



