The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-11-26


propagating the orange is from the
seed?" This inference is borne out
by the fact that in the Seeding groves
of the State there is an endless mum.
Der of varieties, scarcely any two
trees bearing fruit alike.
The deviations from the orici.
nal stock and the production of new
varieties is nearer the result of "cli.
mate or soil manures." Conditions
OF soil or climate may increase or re-
tard the development of a variety,
but its distinctive properties are per.
manent. characteristics remaining un.
changed. This law appertains to all
organized beings. The negro, trans.
planted from the tropics to the re-
gions OF eternal snow, remains a ne.
gro still. While individuals remain
unchanged under all circumstances
generations vary greatly. Thus the
negro and the white man give rise to
numerous mulattoes, and new varie-
ties In the vegetable kingdom, being
a cross between two individuals Of
one species are always originated
from the seed. This being the case
it is said that the peculiarly con-
genial influences of the climate and
soil OF Florida, by causing the more
complete development of the parent,
result In the production from the seed
OF new and superior varieties. This
is regarded by many advocates of the
seeding theory as being the best
method OF improving the quality of
our native fruit. They hold that
through better nourishment existing
individuals attain greater perfection,
anu successive generations must, as
rule be superior. On this point MIR.
Z. ID. Hart, OF Federal Point, says
"The tendency of sweet Seeding
trees, planted in Florida, if due care
is taken in selection, is to continually
improve with each generation, fact
,prohahls due u u ssss esniE sus CUrgen-
iality OF soil and climate" Here,
again, | think very PLAUSIBLE theory
Is deduced from an erroneous pre-.
mise. In the vegetable kingdom ma
ture seeks only to reproduce the spe-
cies, hence fruit abounding in seeds
is in accordance with herlaws. Man
however values these productions ac.
cordlng as they minister to his COM
tort or pleasure, some tor their seeds,
others tor their fruit, and still others
for the beauty or fragrance Of their
flowers. He seeks the development
OF these qualities, which are extraor-
dinary rather than natural produc-
tions. occasioned by some irregular
or artificial influence affecting their
formulation. Each species has its
type, which, when not influenced by
tecundation, reproduces itself from
the seed. Varieties are deviations
from the type whose seed, when not
tertilized from foreign sources, do ,aol
reproduce themselves but return to
| the type of the species. Thus by
planting the seed of variety nurs.
erymen often determine the species
to which it belongs. We value the
orange in proportion to the develop.
ment OF the pulp in the fruit. There.
fore those varieties most esteemed
are turthest removed from the natu.
raj type, containing few and fire..
quently no seeds. When in the prac.
tice OF horticulture a new variety is
desired the process of tecundation is
surrounded by such influences as will
give the required result. In a state
OF nature this is of rare occurrence,
and consequently the number of swpe.
ri0r varieties, even under the congen-
ial influences Of our soil and climate,
are very few. When such a variety
is produced it is scarcely possible
that its seeds escape fertilization from
some OF the many interior varieties or
different species that abound all over
the State; even if this occur, we have
seen that they will tend to return to
the type Of the species and not to
reproduce the particular variety.
When we take into consideration the
fact that all the hybrids are incapable
OF reproduction, among which are
many OF our best fruits, and that
some OF the most approved varieties
are sterile, the fallacy of relying on
Seeding trees will be readily seen,
even when produced under the most
congenial influence of soil and climate.