THE CANADIAN H0RTICULTDRI6T. 



39 



only a waste of time and means." 

 Doubtless this conclusion is quite cor- 

 rect with i-egard to the individual trees 

 and shrubs themselves, but my experi- 

 ence leads me to believe that there is a 

 way whereby we may, in process of 

 time, secure a race of these very trees 

 and shrubs that shall be perfectly 

 acclimated. 



In support of this view I point to 

 the peach trees of north-eastern China, 

 to the cherry trees of the Vladimir dis- 

 trict of Russia, l^'ing north of the fifty- 

 fifth parallel of latitude, to the Catalpa 

 of the north-western States, and to the 

 evergreens tendei- from the Pacific slojie, 

 but hardy when raised from seed grown 

 in Colorado. Why is it that these trees 

 are able to endure the rigors of those 

 cold climates, and not merely to endure, 

 but to flourish and bring forth fruit if 

 it be not true that there is such a thing as 

 acclimation of half-hardy trees. How 

 long a period of time has clasped during 

 which this process of acclimation has 

 V)een ]»rogressing to the full develop- 

 ment which we now find, it is not pos- 

 sible to tell Nature's process are not 

 usually rapid in the affecting of such re- 

 sults, "the mills of the gods grinds low." 

 Nevertheless, within the short sj^an of 

 half a century, I have seen a race of 

 Biota orientalia, produced by the sow- 

 ing of seed raised in our climate, that is 

 ])erfectly acclimated, while the jiarent 

 stock was with difficulty preserved 

 from death long enough to yield seed. 

 Hence I infer that by sowing seed, from 

 trees that have been able to i)roduce 

 seed in any given climate, for success- 

 ive generations, a race of such species 

 of shrub or tree will in process of time 

 be produced, that will be perfectly 

 hardy in that climate. How long it 

 will take to accomplish this, for how 

 many successive generations it will be 

 necessary to sow the seed, it is impos- 

 sible to say. Doubtless, when thus 

 taken in hand by an intelligent guide, 

 nature will take loncjer strides and 



make more rapid progress than when 

 left to her own faltei'ing steps. 



But whether it is worth our while to 

 proceed in this slow, and therefore tedi- 

 ous, manner to accomplish our desired 

 acclimation is quite another question. 

 We now have means at our command 

 whereby this work can be accomplished 

 with far greater rapidity. The art of 

 breeding for specific results is as much 

 within the control of the horticultui-ist 

 and orchardist as of the stock-raiser. 

 Perhaps it has not yet been quite as 

 fully i-educed to a science by the foinner 

 as by the latter, which, if true, only 

 shews that there has not yet been as 

 much careful study and experiment on 

 the part of the horticulturist as has 

 been put forth by the cattle-breeder. 

 Yet enough has been done to prove that 

 by the process of cross-fertilization we 

 can blend in very con.siderable measure 

 the desired size and quality of fruit 

 with the wished for hardiness of tree. 

 The thoughtful student and painstaking 

 observer are wanted to work out these 

 problems and reveal to us the laws of 

 this procreation, so that, guiding his 

 operations by these laws, the propagator 

 may work with certainty to definite 

 results. We have had enough of hap- 

 hazard guess-work, of supposing that 

 cross-fei'tilization has been effected 

 merely because certain trees or vines 

 were in proximity ; it is time now for 

 something like accuracy in our working, 

 if we are ever to penetrate the secrets 

 of nature's working. But when our 

 cross-fertilization shall be pei'formed 

 with a knowledge of the laws of vege- 

 table heredity, we shall hold a talisman 

 more potent than any of which the 

 wildest imagination has ever dreamed. 



PARIS GREEN. 



HY TIIOS. BEALL LINDSAY. 



As an insecticide the vex'dict is un- 

 animously in favor of the use of this 

 poison. 



Most persons now understand that 



