Nebraska advertiser., 1869-07-22
degeneration Of Varieties.

The following article was read by
MI. A, S. Fuller, at the Fruit Grow
ers' Club, in Chicago, May 20. He
said rA
eYhere are many persons VINO be-
Iieve that. Ia obedience to an immu-
table law of nature, species and varle-
ties Of plants Degenerate, or, 70 use a
modern phrase, run out, we snail
therefore beg YOuf Indulgence for q
few moments. while we attempt to
ehOw where and how this theory
originated. IL certainly did not have
its origin with popologists, for this
science Is of q much later date; but
away hack in early times, Of which we
know so little, there doubtless lived
many human beings whonever saw the
sun shine without predicting rain
before night, and If their fruit trees
,,roduced q peck of fruit, it was the
weather. or the inherent weakness Of.
~ variety that prevented them from
Welding q bushel. In fact, there was
nothing made that was exactly right,
or as II should be, or would have been
If they had been consulted before It's
creation. We a scarcely glance
over a mage Of either sacred or prOfane
history without meeting the names Of
some one or more Of these ancient
croakers. For several thousand years
the cry Of degeneracy and Tunning
ont was confined almost entirely to
he human race. But when agricul-
ture began to assume the form OF a
science. Ii also received the theory Of
Regeneration into its system.
IL Is very plain to every student Of
history. that there always are q few
men Ia every generation that take
upon themselves the garb of prophets.
and one portion always predict that
there was q good time coming, and the
etbers predict exactly the contrary.
The GOOD times of one class always
eg0xlstsd when they were young; men
were honest then, trees were always
fruitful. children never died, and old
men and women were sprightly IS
lows and girls. When horticulture
BEGAN to asslrn1e the forms Of science
s IL to be wondered at that their the
0rFo Of deeoneracys was ingrafted int
some branch or STEM tnasmuch as D
existed in every form Of hterat1r'
known to civilized nations2
Wenonot deng Glat therennesickly
families. or varieties of plants, nc.
Eu00 ulAl SAANA4r VIZ ANe 4AAA8 -
disease as well as no culture at all
Forced propagation may cause degen
Grafton. but q healthy variety vii
remain healthy DleN8E under Gl'
same uiant. The SequOia gigante
hne probably existed IN California 70
ahundred fhOnsad years or more, an
many generations Of these monarch
az the Eierras have passed away, an
still q forest Of them remain contain
inc epecimensanRtfiy or quite tire
three thousand years old. Nursery
sen are pr0pagating plants ffoE
the ancient stock. and as yet we nav
heard no complaints about disease Q
Wehud0I varieties Olpeafs, applel
plums and other fruits that have bee
under cultivation and pfopagated
fhe usual manner for three hundre
wears. and they are still as healthy /
ever. Even so small and delicate
nIant As the strawberry shows no sig
81 running out 81 once healthy. I'D
first vafislies known 20 have bee
cultivated are stii in existence, en-
may be found in many gardens. v.
uotiee which formerly succeeded ~
tlu 4otAIF may heeen1e NA4Naa,
hv careless culture or nom change
climate In consequence Of destrOylI
81 forests.
The Newton pfpDiu apple, while
wac never q stEBDg grower. appears
have failed inrthe loeaIifv where
orIginated But at the West there s
many trees Of it that ~succeededa IA