1013. 
“THE DRONE TREE.” 
Improvement Through Bud Selection. 
Part V. 
These papers on the drone tree are brought to a 
close by printing pictures of two types of the Eureka 
lemon, as determined by a “Babcock test,’’ in a Califor¬ 
nia grove. A tree of the unproductive type gave 389 
lemons, while a tree of the productive type shown 
below, and practically the same age, gave 15,086 
fruits. These were the extreme limits of production 
in a large grove, but they will show 
how the trees vary. There were many 
other trees in this grove which did not 
pay the cost of fertilizing and culture, 
while there were many others which 
paid a large profit. Of course, the old 
problem comes up here of getting rid 
of the drones. There can be no ques¬ 
tion about the desirability of doing this. 
In one plot the nine best trees gave to¬ 
gether 13,789 lemons, weighing 3,448 
pounds. Right in the same orchard nine 
trees of the unproductive type gave a 
total of 5,348 lemons, weighing 1,447 
pounds. These are as wide variations 
as would be found in a large herd of 
cattle, and every dairyman knows that 
he would go to the poorhouse if he kept 
on feeding and milking any large num- 
1 cr of the unproductive type. These 
things are evident to all. It has been 
known for years by most observing fruit 
growers that there are in every large 
orchard of practically all kinds of fruit, 
a number of drone trees. This work 
in California, however, appears to be 
the first case of thorough testing to pick 
. ut the individual drones. Granting all 
this, the practical man will ask what 
follows. Let us suppose that wc are 
Me to find our unproductive trees, and 
that we admit that a large number of 
trees in our orchard do not pay for 
their culture. What are we going to do 
about it? A breeder of live stock when 
lie finds a drone in his herd can get 
rid of it, and he can put in its place in 
time the daughter of one of his best 
animals, with a fair assurance that the 
daughter will be superior to the drone, 
lie can do this because the principles of 
animal breeding are reasonably well 
understood. Blood will tell, and the 
new heifers in a herd are bound to 
“act like father's folks.” When we 
arc sure that “father” is strongly bred, 
with a long line of productive ancestors 
hack of him, a dairyman for example 
will safely start to breed out the drones, 
or replace them, feeling very sure of 
1 is ground. But will the same thing 
hold true with the drone tree? Can we 
depend on the buds from our produc¬ 
tive trees still to “act like father’s 
lolks,” as in the case of the living 
animal? Here is where the problem 
stops for the time. This work in Cali- 
fornia has without question shown 
; rowers the necessity o^ getting rid of 
the drone trees, but there still remains 
the problem of replacing them with 
trees that we are sure of. Can this be 
"ne by budding from the productive 
trees? It is an old question, and it 
must be said that up to the present time 
the weight of argument and opinion is 
against the proposition. .Mr. Shamel’s 
vork in California has proved beyond 
question the existence of the drone 
ii'ces but it cannot be said that this work 
' is gone on long enough to warrant 
any positive opinion regarding the 
breeding outcome. The question is still 
"Pen, and we realize the danger which 
might come to tree buyers through the 
statements of enthusiastic or faking 
mu serymen k who advertise “pedigreed 
V ces - I his California work ought at 
1 ' e cnd of several more years to answer some of our 
questions about tree breeding. Mr. Shamel says that 
m thoroughly believes in tbe possibility of tree breed- 
in this way. He thinks it is to be the great work 
< i the future in developing high-class trees. He says 
m one of his letters: 
Me have just begun to see type and individual tree 
'minces. We haven’t gone very far, but our eyes 
Ming opened slowly. The fruit growers are not 
THE) RURAL N E) W-YORKER 
like the ostrich burying its head in the sand, but are 
wideawake and anxious for more light on this sub¬ 
ject. Fortunately from our extensive experiments, 
our cooperative observations and the multiplying 
numbers of independent observers, we shall soon have 
ample data not only in Citrus but other fruits to assist 
growers in studying their trees. 
“We don't ask any grower to take anything for 
granted that we or others say. What we are trying 
to do is to stimulate fruit growers in making intelli¬ 
gent observations and pointing out the facts so far as 
606 
they occur I don’t know, and the person who dis¬ 
covers this principle will go down in history with 
Mendel and other really great observers. 
“My work with corn and tobacco types prepared 
me as no other work could have done to see the 
presence of fruit types. Growers and others will not 
see these things at first glance. After three years’ 
daily observation we are just beginning to see and 
recognize a few citrus types. Otherwise these things 
would have been discovered long ago. After being 
pointed out we wonder how such apparent and often¬ 
times striking types could possibly have 
escaped our observation.” 
On the other hand it is true that a 
large majority of our scientific men do 
not believe there is anything particular 
to be gained through this theory of 
bud variations. We simply state the 
facts, and have proved the existence of 
the drone tree. We Would not lead any 
one astray over the question of bud 
breeding. We hope, however, that Mr. 
Shamel is right, and that in the future 
may be developed some way of making 
sure that our trees are of the productive 
type. 
DENSE UNPRODUCTIVE TYPE OF EUREKA LEMON. Fin. 196. 
«-• 
SVf 
. 
“A FRIEND IN NEW YORK.” 
I read with interest, on page 437, of 
the treatment Mr. Lane received from 
E. M. Travis & Co. Mr. Lane was for¬ 
tunate in having a relative in New York 
to help him out. I have no relatives in 
New York, but I have a friend who is 
willing to help me and does help, even 
when he does not know it. I had about 
the same experience as Mr. Lane. In 
1909 I shipped peaches to a commission 
house in Albany, N. Y. At first I re¬ 
ceived prompt returns and a good price. 
Then came delays, no returns, and finally 
a few cents per basket for the last ship¬ 
ment, with nothing said about other 
shipments. I wrote to them, but could 
not get a reply. I finally wrote them 
1 could stand the loss, but I was going 
to send The R. N.-Y. the shipping re¬ 
ceipts, together with their quotations, etc. 
I received not a word from them, but a 
check that made me fully satisfied. Here 
is a copy of the letter I sent them: 
"A couple of days ago 1 received your 
check for 60 baskets of peaches shipped 
the 20th day of September. What are 
you going to do about 32 baskets shipped 
September 13 ; also 28 baskets shipped 
September 16? I have written you sev¬ 
eral times, but you have not seen fit to 
answer my letters. I stand the loss on 
the 60 baskets between what 1 could have 
taken at home and what I received from 
you without a word of complaint, and I 
can stand these two small shipments, but 
I shall send the papers to The Rural 
New-Yorker.” 
Last'Fall I bought from a neighbor's 
boy who was agent for hosiery three 
pairs of guaranteed wool socks. When 
the socks came they were not as good 
as the sample, but I took them. In a 
short time I sent two pairs back, as they 
were guaranteed for four months, but 
they did not send the socks nor would 
they answer my letters. I wrote them I 
should send their guarantee to The R. 
N.-Y. I received the socks in short or¬ 
der with the word “Rush” stamped on 
the package, and a card saying they 
hoped I was satisfied. So you see the 
work you are doing and don’t know it. 
The average farmer is not much given 
to writing letters or expressing thanks, 
but he appreciates your work just the 
same. b, j. s. 
Orleans Co.. X. Y. 
PRODUCTIVE TYPE OF EUREKA LEMON. Fig. 197. 
we have observed them. I firmly believe that this 
is one of the most important things of recent times 
in its application to practical conditions. Very few 
people believe tljat there is such a thing as bud varia¬ 
tion. Most of these that believe in it treat it as a 
seven days wonder. Such 1 know is not the case, 
but a frequent occurrence that can be taken advantage 
ot in improving our horticultural conditions in equal 
if not greater degree than seed variations. Why 
R. N.-Y.—We know they appreciate 
the work we are able to do. They show 
it by backing us up whenever we ask 
them to help along some worthy cause. In fact, by 
doing this they have given us power to help them. 
What would the fakes or rogues care for us if they 
did not know what our readers would do to them? 
You can see how this plan of mutual help works out. 
The business of making fuel briquets is growing. 
These briquets are chunks made of waste coal—small 
pieces and dust bound together with tar pitch. This 
sort of pitching makes Jack Frost strike out in many a 
game; 220,004 tons were made in 1012. 
