1871 



THE WESTERN POMOLOGIST. 



lit 



tion " of the native crab produced by an admixture 

 of the pollen of the common apple. 



Had Mr. Soulard removed the antliers of the na- 

 tive crab, we might have expected results very sim- 

 ilar to thos(' obtained by Mr. Rogers with the 

 grape. That is, a class of apples might liave been 

 produced with the habit of leaf and growth of the 

 Soulard, and with fruit similar to that of the com- 

 mon apple. Anj-way, we maj' consider the Soulard 

 an advance in the right direction. It is a sport — a 

 break in the fixedness of habit of the native crab — 

 and as such it will prove we hope an admirable moth- 

 er stock for a cro.ss with our best late keeping win- 

 ter apples. From such a cross we have every reason 

 to hope for a class of extreme late keepers, truly iron 

 clad, that would ]irove a l)lessiiig to the Northwest. 

 We will only say in addition that we have little 

 hope of successful results from crossing with the 

 Siberian Crab. The leaf and bark structure of the 

 Siberian are not better in any respect than is ex- 

 hibited in the Gros Pomier or Ben Davis. In ev- 

 ery respect the Siberian is too newrly ullied to the 

 common apple for us to expect any decided benefit 

 from a cross with it. 



The writer is engaged in some experiments in the 

 direction of hybridizing as herein indicated, and 

 this paper has been prepared with the hope that 

 others will be induced to give the subject earnest 

 Investigation and thought. 



Electricity and the Groirtli of Trees. 



BT 9UEL FOSTER, MUSCATINE. 



Ed. PoMOLOGiST. — I must confess that I do not 

 know much about the growth of a tree. When I 

 begin to investigate into the secret life of a tree, I 

 soon discover a line, the which I can neither dis- 

 cover the beginning nor end. What is the life of a 

 tree, and what moves it into action? Can it be in 

 the earth; the air; the light and heat of the sun; 

 electricity? The last of these elements I would 

 credit least with this work. And yet Dr. Stayman 

 in the February No. says, "By this means the 

 organism is built up by cells elongated by electrical 

 force. If it were not for this power, they might 

 expand in width instead of length. When this force 

 ceases to accelerate their growth, they then com- 

 mence to swell their buds instead of lengthening 

 them, which produces fruit spurs and fruit." 



Is it possible that here is a discovery of the cause 

 of downward growth of roots, and upward growth 

 of top; of barrenness and fruitfulness? If this is 

 so, now can we progress with fruit? 



And now having given my disbelief in this elec- 

 trical phenomena, it is but fair that I should give 

 my opinion of the growth of a tree. A tree grows 

 much as a boy whistles; "it whistles itself." So 

 the tree grows. That is, when the seed of the tree 



was created, it contained the life and power to ghe 

 the tree itipeculiar sluijie; the oak after its kind ; the 

 pine, the willow and the apple after their kind. 

 Not only so, but the seed of the original Bellflower, 

 Greening and Benoni, each with their peculiar 

 shape, and no grafting, time, nor electricity has 

 materially changed their form of growth. 



The tree in its growth calls to its aid the earth, 

 the air, with all its gases, elcctricil}-, and the light 

 and heat of the sun. What a powerful influence 

 the sun has on a tree. Behold it in the thick wood 

 stretching its neck to its utmost tension to take a 

 peep at the sun as it passes over. Behold it now in 

 open ground, spreading its branches wide in all 

 directions, /«r lliere is jjlenty of light in all directions. 

 There lies a board two inches from the ground ; 

 turn it aside and see the weeds bending their heads 

 to the light, dividing near the middle of the board 

 as evenly as a maiden's hair is parted on the crown 

 of her head. Let us credit the light of the sun 

 more than electricity with the growth of trees. 



Poniologlcal Gossip. 



By Jacob Stauffer, Lancaster, Pa. 



Ed. Pomologist: I crave jour indulgence, 

 should I, as it may happen, flounder about a bit, be- 

 fore I get into deep water. In the first place, after 

 many years study and labor to collect all the facts 

 on vegetable physiology within my reach, as a bot- 

 anist I claimed to have a fiiir knowledge of the sub- 

 ject. I had heard frequent mention of Darwin's 

 works, in such a manner as to consider him pro- 

 mulgating rank heresies. But since my old pre- 

 ceptor. Prof A. Gray, through The American Arj- 

 ricidturist, has to a great extent, endorsed the work, 

 I have given the subject some attention, and find 

 that his facts cannot be gain-said, even if we do ob- 

 ject to some of his curious speculations. It is in- 

 teresting to read his numerous gleanings from all 

 sources on the changes and vagaries among cultiva- 

 ted plants, such as wheat, rye, barley and oats — the 

 improvement arising from the selection of seed 

 corn — which is no new idea, as it was strongly rec- 

 ommended in ancient times bj' Columella and Cel- 

 sus, and even the poet Virgil says — 



" I've seen the largest seeds, tho' viewVl with care. 

 Degenerate, unless th' industrious baud 

 Did yearly cull the largest." 



I shall not attempt to follow his facts and investiga- 

 tions about maize, cabbages, peas, potatoes, which 

 should be read at length. Nor of the many impor- 

 tant observations on the grape, mulberry, orange 

 group, peach and nectarine ; and their relation to 

 the almond is remarkable. 



Andrew Knight, from finding that a seedling-tree 

 raised from a sweet almond, fertilized by the pollen 

 of a peach, yielded fruit quite like that of a peach, 

 suspected that the peach tree is a modified almond ; 



