PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 315 



picture of what it would be in 1861, how near, think you, he 

 would have approached it? He might have taken the rose tulip, 

 the hollyhock, or any other flower of his day, and from these he 

 might have pictured its future ; but he would have never dreamed 

 that the insignificant single dahlia before him would become in 

 so short a time a flower the form of which is a true mathematical 

 figure. 



We have much at the present time to stimulate us to make 

 extra exertions to pro'duce new varieties of fruits. The desira- 

 ble qualities of our fruits are distributed among too many varie- 

 ties; and what we want now is, to bring these together and con- 

 centrate them in a less number. 



We want the large size of the Union Village grape, the color 

 of the Anna, and the rich vinous quality and hardy vine of 

 the Delaware combined in one vine. The man who will produce 

 such a variety (and- it is possible to do it) will do his country a 

 great favor, besides making a fortune for himself. 



We want a pear as good as the Seckel, and as large as the 

 Duchesse d'Angouleme. A Gravenstein apple that will keep at 

 least three months longer, and not lose its flavor. A currant as 

 large as the cherry, and as sweet as a raspberry. In fact, our 

 wants are too numerous to mention. 



Among the great perfections we have too many imperfections, 

 and it remains with us to say whether these shall be multiplied 

 or reduced. 



There are a thousand chances that we shall descend in the 

 scale to one that we will ascend, when we undertake to raise a 

 new variety from seed ; but that one chance was the foundation 

 on which Knight, Van Mons, Vilmorin, and many others depended 

 for their success when they produced the many fine fruits and 

 flowers that we are now enjoying. 



We hope every one who cultivates a fruit or flower will make 

 an effort the coming season to produce some new and valuable 

 variety by hybridization. 



The seedling strawberries that I showed here last year were 

 the results of very careful hybridization, and the result was that 

 nine-tenths of the number were of fine size, as good as the origi- 

 nal, but only one in a hundred as of superior flavor. 



Solon Robinson called the attention of the club to the great 

 results produced by the natural hybridization of Indian corn. 

 What more might be done by careful and scientific hybridization 



