The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-01-16
P~OMOLOGICAL ART.
TRYING TO PRODUCE sEEDLEss AND
THoRNLEss FRUIT.

lTOFSLESS FNOlks
Methods by Which Fruit Scientists Sue
suits Have shown That They Are ou the
Right ~Ba.is-Sifght Success with Apples.
One of the most important objects pn-
mologists arc striving for is t produce
thornless and seedless fruits, and from
the results already obtained it is not
unlikely that the end Will socn lie real
lied. Seeds are not relished by the con-
suIlers OF fruits, and If they could he
removed we would enjoy our grapes
without experiencing IL dread Of appen-
dicitis aud kindred complaints.
Thorns are no in good standing
among fruit growers, because they are
constantly IuncturIns tho best fruits
and. what in equally important, the
skin Of the pickers. The thorns and
prickles of plants and .-ees were uii-
doubtedly intended by nature to protect
them from animals, but that il 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 shrubs rave none either.
dur domesticated PEAKS and apples
were all derived from the thorny, wild
varieties, and pomologists have succeed
cd in Kidding them Of these spikes and
prickles by careful culture and selec-
ton. Oranges and lemons have not
heen cultivated in this country as sue
c~essfully as pears and apples, and many
Of them are very thorny. The wild and
sour orange trees Of Florida are bris.
thing with thorns, as is also the high
priced king orange, II Of the best of
the mandarins. The wild lemon trees of
Florida are SO thorny that growers qnes-
ton the ~adviaability Of grating the fine
La Franco )"mons 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 the greatest
bother to horticulturists in the north,
and there 10 . determined effort to get
rid OF them. The thorns give endless
trouble to the pickers, and their remov-
al might save many o puncture to deli
cate hands. There is an improved varia-
" Of raspberry placed or the market TO-
day which is entirely thornless, but Il
trouble 10 that quality aud quantity #
fruit have been sacrificed 10 the gain
made in destroying the thorns.
There il little doubt that perfect
thornless blackberries and raspberries
will soon be obtained, for there ia O
widespread movement among gardeners
and seedsmen to accomplish this. The
man who il fortunate enough 10 produce
. variety that gives perfect fruit with
out the thorns will receive q pretty stiff
price for his plants.
Seeds are also unnecessary plant prod
ucts III 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 horticuiturist is sure 10
preserve every n Of any value without
gathering q seed.
The California navel orange repre-
sents the best type Of fruit grown with
out seeds. Nature produced this orange
as q freak 1t first. and man has taken
advantage Of it TO propagate fruit OF Q
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
vived only az a protuberance in the
blossom end, while the other expanded
into 0 we'll shaped fruit without seeds.
These oranges are occasionally fourd
with small seeds; but, az q rule, they
are perfectly seediess.
Several varities Of seedless apples and
pears have already been produced, but
the quality Of the fruit is generally poor
and nearly worthless. They are called
"bloomless'' pears and apples and are
exhibited more as curiosities than as the
triu.nphs OF genealogical art. Neverthe-
less, they are the beginning of a 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 pYoduc-
ton of new varieties without seeds, and
this end scores OF fruit growers
are working, especially in California.
The idea 10 to produce not only table
grapes. but grapes that will make Gns
Seedless raisins would prove