The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-10-09
FARMER AND PLANTER.
FRUIT CULTURE.

~ ~.
why Do Nurserymen Grow Fruit Trees By
Budding and Grating Instead Of from
ScedS
Fruit trees were originally repro
duced from seed almost entirely. But
the first peaches scarcely had any
flesh; hardly anything more than q
large seed. The first apples were crabs,
and pears were no better. Improve
'ment was necessary. This has been
accomplished by selection, cultivation
and cross fertilization, and these seeds
planted. After good variety had been
originated, and in order to maintain it,
1t was necessary to propagate it in such
way as to bescertain that the good
qualities would be reproduced. This
Is accomplished by budding. grating
and from cuttings. Seed, even from
Improved varieties, have a strong ten
dency to revert to the original wild
type. Besides, seeds from one tree are
often fertilized by the pollen of others,
and trees from this class can not be de-
pended upon as to what it will be when
it fruits.
A few years ago Georgian grew
$4,000 peach trees from seed, and Gull
tivated them till they bore fruit.
Eleven thousand nine hundred and
ninety-nane, were discarded for being
worthless. The one reserved is the ia
nous liberia. Thousands of seeds of
the alberta have been planted, but no
one as yet has reported a single sue
cessful tree. Three -fourths of the
peach orchards in Georgia are of the
Eiberta variety, and that means mil
lions OF trees. These would never
have been propagated from liberia
seed. 1t is true that occasionally q
good variety will reproduce itself from
seed; most all sections of the country
have had good varieties that were kept
up from seed. They have disappeared,
some from neglect, and others because
they have deteriorated = reverted =
from year to year till they become
worthless. When good variety will
reproduce itself from seed, it is well to
grow it that way. But If the same va
riety is grated or budded on the hardy,
strong seedlings of the south and
planted by the tree from seed, it will
be just as good. By that is meant,
bear as well, as fine fruit and live as
long. One farmer here in south
Georgia had fine press peach tree.
He gathered so fine specimens and
planted the seed from them. He cult
waited the 80 trees, and when they bore
not one was like the original tree;
none as good, and most of them abso-'
iutely worthless. Some varied SO much
as to be clear seeded instead of press.
The great variation of the seed is the
main reason fruit trees are budded,
grated and grown from cuttings. The
second reason is, the seed can not be
had, while the buds and cuttings can.
OF all good varieties, the fruit is all
shipped; hence, no seed left; the fruit
being worth more than the seed.
Then, again, some years the improved
varieties fail to make crop, but the
hardy southern seedlings (peach)
seldom 4oit ~ malxc q crop.
The third reason is, the stock which
are used for propagation are selected
for their hardness and vigor, and in
many varieties are greatly improved
by being propagated on thrifty stock.
The fourth reason is often a new va
riety is originated and frequently at
great expense, and often IL fruits and
proves to be of special merit, and be-
lore the bearing trees have produced
thousand seed. there has been propa-
gated by budding, grating, ETC., l00O,-
700 trees.
Even the pecan. which has practical
" just been taken from the forest, can
not be relied upon to reproduce itself
rom seed. Not over 90 per cent. of the
treesproduced from seed will be Us good
IS the nuts planted. The other 40 per
cent. will be inferior-smaller, thicker
hell, poorer quality.
Since the reader will have to plant
'rees and wait from two to twelve years
Tor them to bear, he had better observe
The above reasons for using such modes
If propagation that will enable him to |
kuow at planting what fruits will be
'roduced.-B. w. Stone, in Southern
,ultivator.