SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
373 
to the S:uth, if it should not do so well here ; but we have 
high hopes of its success, as it has grown finely this sea- 
son, without the slightest sign of mildew, which attacked 
almost every other variety, more or less. 
The fruit is medium in size; both bunch and berry a 
beautif.;! yellowish white; no pulp; sweet and exceed- 
ingly high flavored It grows enormously, and is a great 
bearer. From its mature wood, I believe it will prove per- 
fectly hardy here ; it is quite so in the northern part ol 
Kentucky. S. M. 
Calvidale, Lebanon P O., Pa., 1858. 
found in their deep solitude, blushing in their virgin pur- 
ity, we will not brag — else a tale we could tell that would 
start tears of joy in the eyes of a Pomologist— at all events 
make his mouth water! 
We have much more to say in relation to interesting 
cases of hybridization, which have fallen under our own 
observation, but lack time, now, to pursue the subject any 
further. Respectfully, &c., 
Silas McDowell. 
Franklin, N. C., September, 1859. 
ORCHARD RAMBLES. 
A CHAPTER ON HYBRIDIZATION. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — Natural Science has 
long since discovered the analogy betwixt the animal and 
vegeU ble kingdom, in the sexual organization of each of 
these g nera, and that at their creation, in common with 
man, and all animal life, the degree of the Almighty was 
that “male and female they should be created !” 
Heretofore, until recently, the discovery of these facts 
has been to the Naturalist but pleasing manifestations of 
Divine wisdom in his arrangement for the perpetuation of 
vegetable existence upon the earth. Of late, however, in 
this, our utihtarian age, the skillful Pomologist and Hor- 
ticulturist have seized upon this discovery in the way 
that an ingenious engmecr would avail himself of waters of 
some impetuous river, direct it to his wheels and set his 
machinery in motion; so the Pomologist avails himself of 
the discovery ofthe fact of hybridization aT ongst trees and 
plants of the same genus, but of different species, and 
thus are producing some ofthe most beautiful varieties by 
cross fecundation, and are, in this way, adding, daily, 
new contributions to the floral and pomological resources 
of the country. 
Heretofore, until recently, the origin of all our existant 
fine varieties, have been produced by accidental hybridi- 
zation where the staminate and pistilate portions of the 
flowers of two plants of the same genus came in contact 
and thus produced a mongrel, and in some cases the mon- 
grel or hybrid is greatly superior to either of its parents ; 
but in nearly every instance an improvement, verifying 
the sentiment- of Dr. Darwin — 
“And interweave at length, 
The mother’s beauty with the father’s strength.” 
If an accidental hybridization has produced so 
many and such extraordinary varieties of fruits, have we 
not strong ground to indulge in a hope that the day is not 
distant when the scientifie and skillful Pomologist will 
direct the operations in the hybridization of fruits and 
plants, as in effect to be as wonderful as the result of that 
hybridization which, in the ..ntedeluvian world, took 
place in the race of man, where “ the sons of God took 
riiem wives of the daughters of man, and there were 
giants on the earth in those days, and the same became 
men of renown I” We cannot well command our risibles 
when, in fancy, we anticipate the aspect of that monster 
Grape that will be produced by the hybridal cross betwixt 
the Hon. A. G. Semmes’s eight pound bunches and the 
Mammoth Grape Prof C D. Smith and ourself measured 
yesterday, the single berries of which girted three and a 
quarter inches round. 
We have spent the summer and this much of the 
autumn, in hunting and examining after fine varieties of 
native hybrid Grapes ; but, taking the high ground at our 
our out-set, to reject every variety that, in some of its 
qualities, was not superior to the Catawba or Isabella, 
have, consequently, had to taboo all of our 42 discoveries, 
save 4 varieties. The possession of these, however, will 
compensate us for all our toil. We are noted for our 
modesty, and in imitation of our beautiful grapes that we 
Editors Southern Cultivator — In my more extend- 
ed rambles, I sometimes pervade a district of country 
known from certain peculiarities of its soil and citizens 
as “Red bone.” 
A rolling surface, remarkable for the natural grace of 
its undulation, and for the immense variety of “poor land” 
which it circumscribes, is as much as I need say, at pre- 
sent, of the former. 
Of the la.ter, there is notably to be observed a certain 
outward “elfishness” of appearance which does nothing 
more than justice to the inner and almost superhuman 
shrewdness which it indicates and typifies. 
To a physician he is remarkable for the equal pertin- 
acity with which he invites disease, and resists death I 
and I submit that there is nobody but a physician who 
really knows anything about the man. He takes such 
pains to fortify himself against anticipated contempt that 
it requires years of patient service even on the part of his 
physician to get through his bulwarks so far as to give 
any account of him. To my brethren of the medical pro- 
fession, who have each of them, a similar scope of coun- 
try in which to air their benevolence, I look for aid in the 
important measure hereinafter indicated, to elevate the 
subject, and to do the State some service. 
I reject, with the ignominy it deserves, the calumnious 
record which refers the origin of Red-bone to the primitive 
penal settlers of this colony. 
I have myself traced his pedigree back to the illustri- 
ous “Ransy Sniffle,” and would be content, with the con- 
sent of that gentleman’s biographer, to rest on him as the 
progenitor of the race. I reserve, however, a private 
opinion, highly fortified by unmistakable marks of pride 
and extravagance, that Red-Bone is, and, of right, ought 
to be the lineal and legitimate descendant of the last of the 
old Roman Emperors. 
Together, they (the soil and citizen) annually engender 
aJimited crop of the usual staples. With a little better 
success in raising children, chickens and chickasaw 
plums, and an occasional bucket of huckleberries for ex- 
port, they manage so far to keep the wolf from the door, 
that I have never known one of them to die of hunger or 
ask an alms. 
to I confess that I have found so much good in these 
people that I have a sanguine hope of gradually develop- 
ing something better. 
Their pride needs tact ; their extravagance sorely needs 
a tutor (I believe that “What’s-his-name,” who cooked 
the allies into Sebastopol would conquer Austria by what 
is wasted in the poorest cabins of Georgia) and they, 
above all, need a substitute for the cotton crop. 
What this substitute is to be, th* nature of the soil to 
which they instinctively flock, very clearly indicates. It 
is good for nothing in the world but fruit. Let us hope 
that the rising tide of Southern Pomology shall not leave 
these unregenerate “poor shoats” of freedom, any longer 
in the category of the great unwashed. 
Strawberry culture is already spreading among them 
in the neighborhood of our towns. The Peach and Pear 
can travel farther. Let them travel ! L. 
Torch Hill, October, 1859. 
