54 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
one tree (say Blenheim Orange, for instance) to have several 
forms that are but slightly removed from the Crab type in size 
and quality of fruit. According to my observations, a great 
majority of seedlings from self-fertilised fruits are absolutely 
worthless, and it may be taken generally that at least ninety 
per cent, are inferior to the parent. Even with the most care¬ 
ful and systematic crossing, the percentage of seedlings show¬ 
ing valuable characters is small, but this is the only method 
which should be pursued now by those desirous of improving 
our fruits. 
It is true that as regards apples, the varieties are so numer¬ 
ous that there does not appear to be much room for additions, 
yet in certain directions useful work could yet be done. For 
example, late-keeping dessert apples of high quality, which 
combine vigor of habit with free-bearing properties and hardi¬ 
ness, will always be in demand because they are never too 
numerous. Dessert, or culinary apples, that mature their fruits 
early in the season, require improvement in their keeping 
qualities, and a really good early apple that could be kept 
without serious deterioration for two or three months would 
be an acquisition. Then, in the direction of strengthening the 
flowers of apples, and increasing their power of resisting frost, 
there is a great field open for the investigator, and one that 
should well pay for exploring. It is well known that the 
flowers of various apples differ materially in size and substance, 
time of expansion, hardiness, and in what may be termed 
staminate or pistillate vitality, fitting them for regular fertil¬ 
isation, yet we have scarcely any systematic records to refer to, 
and few methodical attempts have been made to utilize these 
characters in cross-breeding. 
OMAHA EXPOSITION. 
The managers of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition have 
issued handsomely engraved invitations for the opening day’s 
ceremonies to the national state and municipal officers, to 
officials of former expositions and to the press generally. 
The procession from the city to the grounds will be impos¬ 
ing, headed by the United States Marine Band, which Presi¬ 
dent McKinley has permitted to visit the exposition for two 
weeks. The President will transmit by telephone a message 
of greeting and congratulation. The opening will be at noon 
on June ist. 
The buildings are nearly completed, and already large con¬ 
signments of exhibits are being received preparatory to their 
arrangement in their respective departments. While not so 
extensive as the World’s Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 
1893, the buildings and grounds are a city in themselves, and 
all the attractive features of the great Chicago spectacle, in¬ 
cluding Moorish palaces, harems and Midway Plaisance will 
be reproduced. There is an army of men at work in and 
about the exposition buildings. A new railroad station and a 
a new postoffice have been erected, and there is much con¬ 
struction going on preparatory to the accommodation and 
comfort of the crowds of visitors expected. 
Nearly all the states are to participate, and many state 
buildings have been erected. The style of architecture is 
much the same as at the Columbian Exposition. The lagoon 
facade has a circular dome, one hundred and fifty feet in cir¬ 
cumference, rising to a height of seventy-five feet. The dome 
is supported on a circular row of flutted Ionic colums, the 
enclosed space and under the dome is open. 
The United States government exhibit will far excel, it is 
said, that made at any former exposition. The cost of the 
building alone is $70,000. A fund of $10,000 has been raised by 
California to defray the expense of fruit exhibit, including fruits, 
nuts, wines and other natural productions. Canada has taken 
4,000 square feet of space in International Hall and will 
exhibit agricultural, manufactured and mineral products. The 
railroads have already signed over $125,000, and more is 
partially promised. 
From the mint at Philadelphia, medals are to be turned out, 
50,000, 100,000, or whatever number is wanted, to be sold at 
the exposition. On one side of the medal will be a composite 
portrait from photograph of some of the beautiful women west 
of the Mississippi river. On the other side there will be 
illustrated a mounted Indian killing a buffalo. The contrast 
is to indicate the progress in civilization that half a century 
has brought about. 
TRADE MARK FOR FRUITS. 
“Is there any such a thing as securing a trademark on new 
fruits, so as to keep others from budding or grafting them ?” 
asks a correspondent of the Rural New Yorker. “Iam 
told that one can’t sell such fruits under the trademark 
name, but can grow as many as desired,’’ and Edwin Hoyt, 
New Canaan, Conn., answers : 
“There is a difference of opinion on this subject. Rowland 
Cox, of New York City, one of the most eminent trademark 
lawyers in the city, says that a trademark may be used for pro¬ 
tection for a vine or plant. Judge Wales says : The protec¬ 
tion of a trademark cannot be obtained for an organic article 
which, by the law of its nature, is reproductive, and derives its 
chief value from its innate vital powers independently of the 
care, management or ingenuity of man. In the absence of a 
special contract between the parties, what is to prevent the 
buyer from cultivating the vine or plant, and selling its pro¬ 
duct, whether of wood or of fruit, under the name of the 
parent stock ? Certainly not a trademark. Whether some 
other judge might think differently or not, I cannot say. One 
eminent trademark lawyer, you see, says that a trademark can 
be used for the protection of a name of a vine or plant, and 
another eminent judge says that it cannot be so used. I would 
not, however, advise one to spend much money in trying to 
protect the name of any new fruit, until a law is made for this 
special purpose.” 
EFFECT OF STOCK ON SCION. 
An instance of the effect of stock upon scion is narrated in 
a report recently sent out by the French Academy of Sciences. 
Two pear trees of the same variety, standing side by side, one 
grafted on a pear seedling and the other on a quince, bore 
fruit for a number of years. That from the pear stock was 
green, while that from the quince stock was a golden yellow 
with a rose blush on the side towards the sun. The latter also 
weighed a third more per specimen, was more dense in both 
fruit and juice, and was richer in both acid and sugar. 
