The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1897-01-04
POM0LOGICAL ART.
TRYING TO PRODUCE sEEDLEss AND
THoRNLEsS FRUIT.

ceed IN improving Upon CaloEe- ne
suits Have Shown That They Are on the
Right Rasis-SIiSht success With Apples.
One of the most important objects po-
mologisis 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 dread of appen-
dicitis and kindred complaints.
Thorns are not in good standing
among fruit growers, because they are
constantly buncturing 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 70 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 shrubs nave none either.
Our domesticated pears and apples
were all derived from the thorny, wild
varieties, and pomologists have succeed
ed in ridding them of these spikes and
prickles by careful culture and selec-
ton. Oranges and lemons have not
been cultivated in this country as sue
cessfully as pears and apples, and many
Of them are very thorny. The wild and
sour orange trees of Florida are brls-
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 rCsebushes give the greatest
bother TO h ,rticulturists in the north,
and there is determined effort to get
rid of them. The thOrns give endless
trouble to the pickers, and their remov-
al might save many a 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
locc, ,ierF los
will soon be obtained, for there is a
widespread movement among gardeners
and seedsmen to accomplish this. The
man who is fortunate enough TO producC
variety that gives perfect fruit with
ont the thorns will receive Z pretty stiff
price for his plants.
Seeds are also unnecessary plant prod
ucts in these advanced days of hOrtiCul
ture, when gardeners propagate hal
their stock Ey cuttings, CRAFTS and slips.
Nature need no longer trouble herself
about the fear of losing any of her types
The modern horticulturist is sure tC
preserve every one of any value withou
gathering a seed.
The California navel orange repre-
sents the best type of fruit grown with
out seeds. Nature produced this orang
rs q freak at first, and man has takel
advantage Of it to propagate fruit Of
high order. Half the oranges of Cali
fornia are grated with the navel, ant
it is the most important fruit of til
Pacific coast. Nature tried to produc
twins in the navel orange, and one sur
viyed only as a protuberance in tn
blossom end, while the other expande
into q well shaped fruit without seeds
These oranges are occasionally foun'
with small seeds; but, az rule, the.
arc perfectly seedless.
Several varities of seedless apples ant
pears have already been produced, bu
the quality of the fruit is generally pc
and nearly worthless They are callet
'bloomless' pears and apples and ar
exhibited more as curiosities than as tn
triumphs of pomological art. Neverthe
less, they arc the beginning of a new er
of apple growing, and they represent tn
primary stock of seedless fruits whicl
may produce in time the finest 1avoreC
apples and pears.
The grape industry would be benefit
cd more than any other by the produc
tAOA VI new NoL4OLlcc MlJuOQJ bSCuSr
toward this end scores of fruit grower
are working, especially in California
The idea is 10 produce not only tabl
grapes, but "rapes that will make fir
raisins. Seedless raisins would pro
such boon to the whole civilized worl
that any other variety would be quickl
run out of the market.
There is q seedless grape of Corinth
which commonly passes as a curran:
and the Sultana raisins of southeaster
Europe are also seedless. But thes
fruits are SO small that they can new
answer the purpose. What the trad
wants is a large, seedless grape, wit
perfect color and flavor, and to get ths
it is necessary to experiment. for yeari
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