BOTANY. 119 
of pomology as well as of other invention, has been fully supplied 
out, of other accessible, and in some Gases no doubt — 
better, materials. 
There are some, however, for which evidently ‘a good time is 
coming.” Of these, our wild grapes are foremost. ‘They have 
such a start already, and seedlings, whether from crosses or other- 
wise, can be produced and selected and reproduced in so short a 
space of time, that they will probably have achieved their position 
when the American Pomological Society holds its centennial cele- 
bration. 
Blackberries, from Rubus villosus, are in similar case; and if 
due attention be paid to the low blackberry or dewberry, and to 
the sand blackberry of New Jersey and farther south, the founda- 
_ tion for a greater diversity of excellent sorts will be laid. 
As to cranberries, already an important staple, increase of size 
and abundance of production are all that are to be expected. It 
is easier to bring about improvements in the direction of sweetness 
than in that of acidity. Huckleberries, also, have probably nearly 
reached their perfection unassisted. 
A few wild fruits may be mentioned which manifestly have great 
capabilities, that may or may not be developed in the future. The 
leading instances in my mind are the persimmon and the papaw,— 
not the true papaw, of course, which we have in Florida, but the 
Asimina or western papaw, so called. Both persimmons and 
papaws are freely offering, from spontaneous seedlings, incipient 
choicer varieties to be selected from; both fruit when only a few 
years old, thereby ~accelerating the fixation of selected varieties 
into races; and both give fruits-of types wholly distinct from any 
others we possess of temperate ‘climates. He that has not tasted 
a kaki has no conception of the capabilities of the Diospyros 
genus. The chaid apples of the West Indies give some idea of 
what might be made of our papaw, when ameliorated by cultiva- 
- tion and close selection from several generations. I have under- ` 
stood that one of the veteran pomologists of the country, Dr. 
Kirtland, of Ohio, a good while ago initiated a course of experi- 
ments upon the papaw in this regard; it would be well to know 
2 2 with what success, and whether the breeding and selection have 
been continued through successive generations. 
Our American plums, already mentioned, have for many years 
| T some sort of catia and have sae upon the me 
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