Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-21
NEW FRUITS.
How the Grower Can Create
Them.
A Lecture by Prof. Emory E.
Smith.
Well Defined Ways for the Improve
ment of Fruit.
Chance seedlings-Bud variations-Hy-
brfdizing and Gross Pollenation.
The Effect of Environ
ment.

n soIlts vi pOpuldr lSCbuIc5 aIo pcHiS
given at the Stanford university for the
benefit of fruit growers. Prof. Emory
E. Smith recently gave one on Originat-
ing New Varieties of Fruit for Califor-
MIA, which was as follows:
The primary object Of the production
of all new varieties of fruit is the in
crease of the quantity and the improve
mept of the quality of our food supply.
The origination of new varieties of
fruit for California is particularly desir-
able on account of our peculiar climatic
conditions, and also to give US superior
fruits to those produced elsewhere.
What we want are those varieties best
suited to the highest development of
our fruit growing Industries. Our eli
mate and soil are admirably adapted to
the production of improved varieties, as
has already been proved by number
of chance seedlings, which when intro
duced have at once taken place as
standards.
To retain our supremacy as the great
est of fruit growing countries we must
not be simply imitators, but must be
originators. There are several well-de-
improved: Chance seedlings, bud varia-
lenation and the objects for which i'm
provements should be sought for Cali
fornia are chiefly productiveness, flavor,
nutritiousness, size, vigor, color, ship
ping and keeping qualities, hardness,
extreme early and lateness, and an
adaptability for canning and drying pur-
poses, and exemption from diseases and
insect pests.
BY the term "chance seedlings" re-
fer to fruit trees resulting from seeds
that have been selected and planted at
random, or, as is usually the case, have
accidentally become covered with earth
and have sprung up of their own voli-
ton. These seedlings, which often differ
widely from their parent in character OF
growth and fruit, may be the result of
natural variation or of chance cross by
the agency of the breeze, bees or other
insects. Many, and l might say the ma
jority, of our standard varieties have
originated in this way.
But variations, or "spo1ts," as they
are commonly termed, are so far unex-
plainable. Suddenly branch upon
tree, or cane upon a bush or vine will
show unusual vigor, or produce fruit of
flavor, color or size differing materially
from the variety type. By removing
the ''sport" and perpetuating it by buds,
scions or cuttings a new and distinct
variety has been brought into existence,
although tendency is often exhibited
for several years toward further varia-
ton, in which case selection has to be
resorted to until the type is we'll fixed.
Hybridizing and -pollenation are
words quite generally confused and mis-
understood, even by horticulturists
themselves. Hybridizing may be briefly
described as the intermixing of two dis
tinct species. while cross poilenation, as
the term is acceptably applied, is the
mixing of varieties of one species, or of
individuals of the same variety. Cross
pollenation, as the term has been used
in this talk, may be of the two sorts:
"Individual crosses" the mixing of the
pollen of flowers from the same plant,
and ''cross Breeds" the mixing of the
pollen of two varieties of the one species.
New varieties of fruit depend upon
propagation by bud, scion or cutting for
the continuation of their individuality,
which in most instances is fixed to a
marked degree. All things being equal,
it is doubtful whether this individuality
is ever lessened. My own observations
incline me to believe that the character
istics of variety do not deteriorate, but
that too rapid propagation or other con-
ditions may cause temporary, or even IN
some cases, permanent constitutional
weakness; and, while uncongenial cli-
matte or soil condition may cause de-
cline and decay in plant or tree, this has
nothing to do with the characteristics of
the variety of fruit, but simply repre-
sents an unequal contest of plant life
with unfavorable conditions.
While aware that my views differ
from those of investigators who have
had more extended opportunities, am
convinced that environment unfavora-
BILE to characteristics, but favorable to
the plant vigor of variety, does not
permanently change the characteristics
of such variety, though the seed pro-
duced may be widely and permanently
changed. To convince myself of the
truth of this theory I have for some
years conducted experiments, the par
ticulars of which | will not give, but
will merely say that have taken scions
from several cid fruit trees in California,
the fruit of which it was claimed had
been permanently changed in color, and
These scions were sent east and grated
on trees of the same variety, and no diff
ference whatever could be discovered in
the fruit from that borne on the balance
of the tree. Varieties of fruit brought
from Europe, and whose origin is long
lost, are, as grown in California, identi-
cal inRcharacter with the earliest de-
scription.
In discussing the question of cross
pollenation, the question of direct
effect of the cross upon the pulp OF
the fruit is sometimes raised. AS a
rule, do not believe that crossing
naturally or artifcally has any
direct effect upon the pulp, but
that the intermixture is confined to
the seed and the fruit which it may pro-
duce, | am, however, convinced that
there are exceptions to this rule, and
that the exception applies particularly
to the orange, and is discoverable in ex-
terror characteristics rather than in any
change in the nature Of the pulp.
made some unsatisfactory observa-
ti0ua aorno ofobf vooro q On II, fha orauuo