The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-24

PhiIa de'phia Record.

Philadelphia Record.
But for the continued efforts of entepprising
seedsmen and horticulturists our vegetables
would gradually deteliorate and revert to the
original varieties from which they were pro-
duced. Farmers and gardeners who do not make
a speciality of Improvement can form no estimate
of the time. patience, care and labor required in
the production of new variety, nor of the nu-
merous failures that occur before the variety is
deemed worthy of place among others.
The tomato which nearly rivals the apple in
sTnoothness and frmness, was almost despised
half a century ago; but the Trophies, Acmes,
Projections and ParagOns of to-day are es-
teemed the most valuable of our garden
vegetables Mr.. Livingston, who gave us the
Acme, Paragon, and Perfection oegan his work
of improvement thirty years ago, and. after Sc
lecting seed from the choicest for ten years, was
but little nearer the accomplishment of his pur
pose than when he began but he did not despair,
and made new experiments finally determining
to select his seed from the smallest but best
formed and smOothest specimens. He was led
to adopt this plan by observing that the small
specimens We're uniformly of better quality than
the larger. Having gained quality, he gradually
lncreaS ID the size and with one good variety
| foundation he had less difficulty in originating
others. He was compelled to grow his tomatoes
at distance from inferior kinds, fora large num-
Der of failures arise from overlooking this pre-
caution in saving seeds. The efforts of Mr. Liv
ingston extended over period of thirty years,
with no patent to protect his Improvements, and
yet the value Of his efforts 10 the farmers and
gardeners cannot De estimated. Had every
farmer been as determined he in peTfecting
crops of vegetables and fruits the value of our
agricultural productions at present could not be
computed.
The value of the wheat crop of this country
has been increased millions of dollars by The
patient selection of a few choice heads of wheat
annually by Mr.. Fultz, of Lancaster county
Pennsylvania-not that the Fultz wheat is at
present more extensively cultivated than any
other. but it opened era in wheat selection
and improvement, and laid the foundation upon
which our varieties Of wheat have been elevated
to the highest standard Of excellence and pro
likeness. In like manner the careful selection of
seed corn has made possible the heavy yield of
100 bushels or more per acre.
Gregory with his close and constant attention
to the work of vegetable Improvement, gives us
the Hubbard squash and Marblehead cab
bage, while Rogers with his annual new
varieties Of grapes. and Goodrich, with his ex-
periments at potato Improvement, have been
of Invaluable service to the country. Lawton
with so insignificant fruit as was the black
berry at the time he began his experiments,
opened new field in fruit growing Had it not
been for patient and persistent efforts, after many
discouragements. we would not today possess
the Bartlett pear, Crawford peach. Concord
grape, ShaIpless strawberry The Acme
Paragon. and Trophy tomatoes would be I'M
known but for careful selection, and would
have no Early Rose, Peachbow, Snowflake, and
Peerless potatoes but for repeated and persistent
experiments.
Every farmer is in duty bound to perform his
share of the work of improvement. If each
would strive to make his crops superior by care
and Judgment in selection tho chances of better
varieties would be increased i'll proportion, with
the advantage in their favor of what may be
termed the ''chance success of discovering
vegetable here and there far superior to any
others known. A wide field is open to farmers
in this direction.