Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-06-03
New Fruits By Crossing


obtaining new varieties Of fruit, and particu.
larry OF the apple, by cross fertilization, is the
substance OF the remarks made by j. j. Thomas
in his recent course OF lectures at Cornell Unit
yersity; and they may prove interesting t. our
Younger readers who may desire to experiment
We plant apple seed or pear seed, and cut of
many thousand seedlings some NAV chance to
bear very fine fruit. The seeds of the best va
rietes will be more likely to produce good sorts,
than those Of worthless fruits. The seeds Of
Fall Pippin or of q SpitZenburgh, will be more
likely to give US some good new varieties, than
seedlings from an apple having flavor like that
OF vinegar or OF raw potato. In planting the
seeds OF Seckel, we shall more probably obtain
a new and delicious pear, than by planting the
seeds OF choke pear. But we must remember
that these we'll known and excellent fruits were
chances; and their progeny would be likely to
fall back more or less towards the condition
from which they were improved. Probably Of
ten thousand trees raised from the seed of the
Esopus SpitZenburgh, not one would be so good
as the SpItZenburgh itself, in ell particulars
IL lie, therefore, very slow and uncertain pro-
cess 10 raise new sorts BIZ means of chance seed
Ings- But we gain great point in mixing two
good sorts together By crossing. You may be
familiar with the manner by which the varieties
Of common Indian corn became Eaixed-that is
by the pollen from the anthe rs OF the tassels
falling on the stigmRs on the silk u the ears
Yellow, white and red corn thus become mixed
together. In similar manner we cross two
and stiemas are in the same flowers. and not
separate az in corn, the pollen from those
flowers would be more likely 70 fertilize
their own stigmas and thus defeat our intention,
and we are obliged to clip of the anthers with
fine pair Of scissors before they burst, and
then carefully bring the pollen from the other
tree to fertilize the stigmas Of this. Suppose,
Greening with the Esopus Spitzenburgh. We
selecta branch OF the the Greening when first
In bloom, and carefully cut oot all the stamans
Then to prevent the bees and the winds from
m nfh aY nj "a nF
tree, to the sugmas thus deprived OF stamcns
We carefully enclose the branch in thin translu-
cent sileloth, which viii admit Light, until the
pollen from the Spitzenburgh begins TO burst in
yellow dust from the anthers. We take guam
tty of this pollen on the point of the finger or
on camsie hair pencil, and lifting the oilcloth,
touch the sugmas Of the Greening flowers. We
have now accomplished q great feat-for we
have, by means Of those minute microscopic
bodies (smsller than the floating particles OF
dust in the ali, effected q cross between these
from the operation will, to outward appearance,
be Greetings; but the ssed within win be cross
between the two. We plant them, and they grow
and bear. II must be exceedingly interesting 70
walk along these rows Of seeding trees, as the
sorts are swelling and ripening init q new EXIT
ence and see what cyl has never before lookedon,
Rhode Island GreeRing and the Spitzenbursh.
Possibly We may have blamed among them An
new sort OF great excel ence, which may vet
become famous throughout the country. Now,
when the seeds Of fine apples are planted, tf,ey
have general tendency to deteriorate; q high
point OF excellence haviag been reached in the
two beiowNand many of the new trees r pe1sa 0s
several notches below. So with the crosses-Ee
shall have good many new Jones among the
seedlings just mentioned that will be decidedly
inferior to the Rhode leland Greeninp; and wa
shall End them growing on trees as crooked as
the Greening, and as feeble, tender, and unreIl-
able az that OF the SpitZenburgh. Such trees we
90 not want, and they viii have to 90 to the
brufh-heap. There will be many more that may
have toms good qualities mixed with more bad
ones.appies with good flavor, but scabby ana
small, and on crooked and feeble trees; others
on handsome and straight trees, but the apples
sour and nl-hayored. But we hope to find one
or two, out OF the great multitude, where by a
very rare chance or combination, all the good
points will have met, and made q really excel
lent and valuable new variety. Again suppose
we have q very good early apple, like the Sum-
liner; We select . larger fruit, like the Craven
stein or Porter, which are later. We cross them,
and perhaps out Of great multitude, we may
these larger spplesopthe ammer Rose, or what
would be nearly the same thing, make the two
later apples month or two earlier. OR we
lent in quality, with the Red Astrachsn. which
q larger snd handsomer, and growing on a SYM
metrfcal vigorous tree, but Of poor duality. If
we can suSoeea, among ten thousand cross
quality as the Summer Rose, and equal TO II in
earliness, and with the beauty Of the Astra-
Cndn, On no me tree OF the latter sort. we
shall have accomplished q feat worth years OF
labor. This mode Of raising new fruits of the
apple and pear has never been put into exten-
sive practice; but some Of the finest grapes.
straw berries and cherries have been originated
In this way.
As the work OF cutting out the anthers with
scissors IL slow and lsborious, and could hardly
De adopted for tree Of much size, another
mooe OF easier performance has been tried with
occaslonaI success. The two sorts are planted
20 closely together that their branches become
Intimately fntermingled. Some Of the flowers
OF one sort win then stand good chance 70 he
ceme fertilized from the flowers OF the ottsr.
The seed OF the crossed fruits, when plantad.
may give US some valuable new varieties. IN
this way Dr. Kirkland, Of Cleveland. raIsed
many new and excellent Cherries. soma on
which are among our best standard sorts
To those who have tlste for these pursntts
and the time and means TO crafty IL, II mnst
prove exceedingly fascinating, as well as usefni.
20 make large plantations of Seeding trees Oh,
.slned by cross fertilization, and to watch. a.
they begin 70 bear, for the newly Developed
Isnits, with their various colors, the golden
skin, the blush cheeks, the striped notified
, cn.s ana me endless shades Of isvor.-
1Opsls are said to be the ONLY kind of prs-
ese off. thefa 49,