The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-05-22
SEEDLESS FRUITS.
Gardeners Are Trying With Good 'Results
to Got Rid Of Prickles and stones,


Gardeners Are Trying With Good 'Results
to Got Rid Of Pr,ckles and Stones.
Appendicitis may not be so fash
ionable a disease a few years hence
as it is now, " said Assistant Pomol-
ogist Taylor. "Gardeners are try
Ing their best to get rid of seeds in
fruits. Already we have the navel
orange, which is nearly always seed
less. Some varieties of apples have
been produced that have almost no
seeds. They are abnormalities. Some
times they are called 'bloomless, be-
cause the blossoms have no petals,
and in some cases lack stamens.
The core is very small, and common
ly there is hollow at the end oppo-
site the stem. These seedless apples
are generally poor in flavor, being
grown merely as curiosities.
"Raisin producers in California
are trying to obtain seedless grapes
for raisins. The object in view is to
get size and seedlessness in tho same
fruit. You are familiar with the
seodless grapes Of Corinth, which
are commonly known as 'currants.'
The Sultana raisins of southeastern
Europe are likewise seedless grapes.
Both of these varieties are now cul-
tiyated in California, but they are
small A prominent grower in Fres-
no county is working In this direc-
ton with the Muscat of Alexandria,
which Is a leading raisin grape in
California. he selects cuttings from
those vines which produce less than
the normal number of seeds. Con-
tinuing this process from year to
year, he hopes to reduce the grapes
to absolute seedlessness eventually.
It is believed that the seedlessness of
the Corinth and Sultana grapes was
obtained by similar means,
1.-THE banana Is seedless and has
been so for centuries, though nobody
knows why. It is propagated by
suckers, and possibly 1t had no seeds
when it was first found in the wild
state. Tho banana is q modified ber-
~. Cutting the fruit down through
the middle, you will sometimes see
a few little brown spots, which are
rudimentary seeds. Occasionally the
banana does actually produce seeds
The pineapple is nearly seedless, be-
ing propagated likewise from suck
ers and from slips. The eggplant,
which is q fruit botanically speak
ing, is occasionally seedless. This
plant is able to produce developed
fruit, whether the blossoms are for
tilted or not.
Observation-Disclosures are endeavoring
at the same time to rid fruit plants
of thorns. Some oranges and lemons
are very thorny-for example, the
high priced King orange, which Is
the best of the mandarins It Is
! rarely sevn iii this market. The first
trees were brought to the United
States from Cochin China. In Flori'
da its thorniness has been diminish
ed by selecting buds from branches
with tho fewest thorns. Thorns are
Objectionable because they punoturt
the oranges or lemons when thu
branches arc blown about by thu
wind. y
Efforts are being made to get rit
of the thorns on raspberry and black
berry plants simply for convenience
in picking the fruit. The thorns ar
intended by nature to protect tn
plants from animals. Cultivators Sc
lect those plants which by chance
happen to be thornless OK compare
lively so. Washington Star.