Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-07
Crossing or Mixing Plants.

Crossing or Mixing Plants.
Mr.. Peter Henderson, the well-known
horticulturist, scouts the idea of melons,
tomatoes, strawberries and other fruits
mixing and partaking of each others fla
vor by growing together and having their
growth interchanged. He cites his own
lOng-tested experiments to disprove the
belief, but says, ''what the seeds will pro-
duce is another thing"
Herein lies a knottY question. Will
some one rise and explain how as adj
mitted }, these plants can mix their seeds
without the foreign flavorpassing through
the. pulpy surroundings of the seeds? And
if it does pass through, can it do so with
out leaving faint behind?
Mr.. Henderson is a little beyond his
depth with all his valuable experience.
He says: "Were it a law of nature that
varieties could be influenced by cross
fertilization, the purity of the varieties
of apples, pears and peaches, and, in fact,
everything else in fruits and flowers
would soon be destroyed when planted
close enough together to be Influenced by
the pollen carried by insects or waited by
the wind"
Can Mr.. Henderson conceive of a claw
of nature" Destroying itself If the thing
would not work it would prove no law.
But the very reverse of his statement is
known to be true. "Cross-fertilization"
not only Influences" but actually Gre
ates new varieties. Is not this the very
object of Decentralization among hOrti-
culturists? Mr.. Henderson appears to be
bewildered in the maze of Darwin's evo-
luton, and he never will be able to ex-
plain these mysteries upon that theory.
Are not our fruits corrupted ''world with
out end" by these very ss-fertiliza-
tions? Then why have they not all been
destroyed? Let Mr.. Henderson get the
idea of natures standards" In species
she gave imperishable standards. not in
cOrruptible, for she allows them to be
varied (by Decentralization without
limit; but Then the crOss-fertilizatiOn
ceases the standard is restored. Hence
the tendency in all others to ''run out"
Here is a wonderful provision for uses,
showing infinite design, which could not
be admitted by the school Of evolution
lists, because design both springs from
and anticipates intelligence. Man comes
in as an intelligent factor in fertilizing,
hybridiZing and mixing fruits and flowers
for the production of new varieties, along
with the bees and other insects; and ma
ture smiles upon his secondary work,
multiplying and improving to suit his
wants; but when he ceases they run out,
and only her standards remain.
Just as she produces her finest fruits by
manipulation from inferior or standard,
to the superior or hybrid, so, it seems, she
also produces her finest intellects, which,
like the fine hybridized fruits, ''play out"
after awhile, and others have to be ma
nipulated worked up or trained) from
the lower order (the standard), to take
their places. Does not society everywhere
show this? If, according TO Mr.. Hender-
son, they should all perish, will all do
nestle animals? but the fact that they
cannot perish, and after thousands of
years show no signs Of DONG so, refutes
his argument. Fruits and flowers again,
like animals, can be bred to points, and
to that fact we are indebted for the grand
array of varieties; but we must know
more of natures fruit anatomy, of her
processes in the structure and growth of
fruit pulp and fibre before we shall be
able fully to understand how she can per-
NIT unlimited mixture and hybrldization
and at the same time preserve all her spe-
cies and standards. 1t may be that as
plant takes on, it also throws off, i'll
adapted elements, and through the sap
works off, under favorable conditions,
what 1t could not resist under unfavOra-
lln conditions