The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-12-24

Z y Si-AiAA4Abo tilpob l'iOlilprig bcAOlO. tAIc
shell or outside covering has had time
to harden. Seeds that do not ripen
! before winter, or for any other reasons
cannot DO planted at once, should be
stored in such a way that they will
have no chance TO become thoroughly
/ dry. We see no good reason why
seeds of the peach, cherry, plum,
hazlenut walnut, chestnut, oak,
! pecan magnolia, Usage orange, etc,
should not be planted in the autumn,
unless, as IN the case of nuts in some
localities, there may be danger from
/ the depredatious of squirrels and
other rodents. If the seeds named
/ haNu once had chance to dry out
they would be worry slow 10 germinate.
If compelled to postpone plant
ing until spring, mix the seeds
with dry seed and store in a
cool room. If kept too damp and
warm they are liable to sprout prema-
turely or be spoiled by rotting. Sow
or plant these seeds in well prepared,
loamy soil, covering very lightly, and
otherwise treat as you would fine gar
den seeds.
SEEDING PEACHES.
All new varieties of fruit are the off
spring of seedlings, and growing from
the seed is the only known way of
changing or improving them. But
improvement is not always the result
of seed planting, but more frequently
the reverse. The character of the fut-
ure tree or plant is determined not
alone by the quality of the parent tree
from which the seed is taken, but
often mainly by the character of the
tree whose pollen fertilized the parent
blossom. So that, for instance, the
seed Of the finest peach may produce
a tree the finest of which
is worthless, or the seed of
bring tree bearing very
superior quality Of fruit There are
few exceptions to this rule. A few
kinds of fruit reproduce themselves
without variation, even when exposed
to cross fertilization. This prepotency
II found in some peaches, and where
their character is known and valued
trees from the seed are superior to
those budded or grated. Seeding
trees are much harder than others,
if never moved from their
starting place. This is explained by
the tap root being undisturbed.
Some authorities recommend the
planting of Seeding orchards mainly
on account of their being longer lived.
While that is q valuable feature, it is
Offset by the land, labor and time con-
'umed in the care of worthless trees,
except when sure reproducers are
Ten years ago | made a collection of
he pits of every extra fine peach /
anne across. TheseI planted and the
GLOWING year set out 10S of the best
rees thus produced. They made
,igorous growth and developed into
inc, healthy trees, and those not cut
Town look like growing for an
ther twenty years. But out of
he lO8 trees there was not
ne that could be called first class
quail to well known standard va
ieties. A bout ten or fifteen of them
we're of fair quality and the balance
anged from moderately good to utter
'orthless. The latter have been cut
ut and replaced with more profitable
nus oIudIJS more prOllUaDle ana
tucker change can be made by bud
ing the worthless trees as soon as
heir worthlessness is manifest. This
MY loses one year of
.rowth and secures the benefit
f the well developed Seeding
cots, In a commercial orchard seed
lanting should not be practiced, ex-
ept when there is an assurance of
'uit Of some desired kind. In the
bsence of such assurance 500 seed
ng trees might produce 500 totally
ifferent varieties of peaches, differ
lg widely in quality and time of
pening, and none near enough to
lake them profitable to handle. For
home orchard this would not be so
Objectionable, but sometimes an adj
antage.
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