Smyrna times., 1897-01-06
POM0LOGICAL ART.
TRYING TO PRODUCE SEEDLESS AND
THORNLESS FRUIT.

ceed In Improving Upon Nature-Re-
suits Have Shown That They Are on the
Right Basis-SIight Success With Apples.
One of the most important objects po-
molo2ists are striving for is to produce
thornless and seedless fruits, and from
the results already obtained it is not
unlikely that the end will soon be real
lied. Seeds are not relished by the con-
sumers of fruits, and if they could be
removed we would enjoy our grapes
without experiencing a dread of appen-
dicitis and kindred complaints.
ThOrns are not in good standing
among fruit growers, because they are
constantly puncturing the best fruits
and, what is equally important, the
Skin Of the pickers The thorns and
prickles Of plants and trees were un-
doubtedly intended by nature to protect
them from animals, but that is no rea-
son why they should be continued for
generation after generation on the cul-
tivated varieties. The gardener has no
need for them, and, for that matter, the
trees and shrdbs have none either
Our dOmesticated pears and apples
were all derived from the thorny, wild
varieties, and pomologists have succeed
ed i'll Kidding them of these spikes and
prickles by careful culture and selec-
tion. Oranges and lemons have not
been cultivated in this country as sue
cesstully as pears and apples, and many
Of them are very thOrny. The wild and
sour orange trees of Florida are bris-
tling with thOrns, as is also the high
priced king orange, one of the best Of
the mandarins. The wild lemon trees Of
Florida are so thorny that growers ques-
tion the advisability of grating the fine
La France lemons ON them.
In Florida, however, the thorns of
the orange and lemon trees have been
greatly reduced by selecting buds from
branches with the fewest thorns, and
by continuing this process year after
year the sharp spikes disappear In Cal
ifornia nearly all of the orange trees are
thornless-not naturally, but as the re-
suit of cultivation and selection.
The thorns on blackberries, raspber-
ries and rOsebushes give tho greatest
bother to hOrticulturists in the north,
and there is a determined effort to get
rid of them. The thorns give endless
trouble to the pickers, and their remOv-
al might save many puncture to deli
cate hands. There is an improved varie.
ty Of raspberry placed on the market to.
day which is entirely thornless, but the
trouble is that quality and quantity of
fruit have been sacrificed to the gain
made IN destroying the thOrns.
There is little doubt that perfect
thornless blackberries and raspberries
will soon be obtained, for there is q
widespread movement among gardeners
and seedsmen to accomplish this. The
man who is fortunate enough to produce
a variety that gives perfect fruit with
out the thorns will receive pretty stiff
price for his plants.
Seeds are also unnecessary plant prod
ucts i'll these advanced days Of horticul-
ture, when gardeners propagate half
their stock by cuttings, gratis and slips.
| Nature need no longer trouble herself
about the fear of losing any of her types
| The modern horticulturist is sure to
preserve every one of any value without
gathering a seed.
The California navel orange repre-
sents the best type Of fruit grown with
out seeds. Nature produced this orange
as freak at first, and man has taken
advantage Of it to propagate fruit of a
high order. Half the oranges of Cali
fornia are grated with the navel, and
1T IS the most important fruit of the
Pacific coast Nature tried to produce
twins in the navel orange, and one sur
vlved only rs a protuberance in the
blossom end, while the other expanded
into well shaped fruit without seeds.
These oranges are occasionally found
with small seeds; but, az a rule, they
are perfectly seedless.
Several varities of seedless apples and
pears have already been produced, but
the quality of the fruit is generally Door
and nearly worthless. They are called
"bloomless' pears and apples and are
exhibited more as cnriosities than as the
triumphs Of pomological art. Neverthe-
less, they are the beginning Of new era
OF apple growing, and they represent the
primary stock of seedless fruits which
may produce in time the finest favored
apples and pears.
The grape industry would be benefit
ed more than any other by the produo-
tion Of new varieties without Seeds and
toward this end scores of fruit growers
are working, especially in California.
The idea is to produce not only table
grapes, but grapes that will make fine
raisins. Seedless raisins would prove
such boon to the whole civilized world
that any other variety would be quickly
run out of the market.
There is a seedless grape of Corinth,
which commonly passes as currant,
and the Sultana raisins of southeastern
Europe are also seedless But these
fruits are SO small that they can never
answer the purpose. What the trade
wants is large, seedless grape, with
perfect color and flavor, and to get that
1T is necessary to experiment for years
New York journal.