The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-10-21
Seedlings.

Every tree and plant that grows
mad originally its beginning from seed
hut the term "seedling" when speak.
ing of trees, conveys the idea that
the tree has been grown direct from
the seed, not from drafts or buds.
Plants such as the straw berry etc,
are multiplied by suckers or a di-
vision of the roots etc., and are term
ed seedlings until they have been
named. In the article | have been
requested to furnish for this meeting
[ shall consider peaches and straw.
berries ss the most common of our
garden fruits.
| have heard many times of certain
peaches that always bring from the
seed exactly the same kind as the
parent tree. have made very cloee
examination OF the blossoms of trees
and plants, microscopic and other
wise, and find in them ovaries or
EN- bryo seed. These to be perfected
grow to a tree must undergo the reg
ulsr course OF natures process, viz:
furnish pollen which by peculiar
and intricate process finds its way
TO the ovaries through the pistils
where some com binatlon takes place
that II the end produces fruit and
perfects the seed. We know If the
pollen does not reach from any cause
its proper destination we get no fruit.
Every blossom Of the apple contains
i've plstils. Each of these pistils is
capable of forming two seeds. If
only one of the five becomes fertiIized
with pollen II lie possible for the APP
pie to grow and ripen and form one
seed, but 1t Is likely not to he as per-
feet fruit as IL would be If all the
cells contained perfect seed.
A good many things we cannot
safely reason about, owing to our in
ability TO see into some parts of ma
ture's process, but the results we can
note and have done so and conclude
that some peach trees are provided
with perfect flowers, some partly 50
aud others imperfect. The perfect
Towering kinds, viz, those that have
pistils, stamens and pollen, are cap
able of producing fruit independent
of other kinds. The half perfect pro.
duce some and the imperfect none
at all without the aid of pollen from
perfect blossoms.
My observation and experience in
raising Seeding peaches convinces
me that even the perfect lowered
will produce fruit similar but never
aa perfect as when pollen from other
trees assists, and II the trees are
of other varieties, then the seeds will
be mixed, the one furnishing the most
pollen predominating.
In selecting seed for planting care
should be taken to get only from trees
that are healthy, full-lesved and
fruitful. Seed from al orchard Of
many trees will he more likely to
grow than from those that grow alone.
1t Is the worse of policy to have any
poor varieties on the place. II by
accident some are found to be worth
less when they fruit, they are no
profit. Destroy them at once.
Prof. Munson, of Dennison, Texas,
has experimental probably more
than any one else in raising grapes
| rrA hn 1fa hnf ~
1000 seedlings which he has grown
to fruiting, he has discarded all but
40, and he does not recommend for
general planting half OF the forty.
In his experiments he has used the
greatest care in the pOlination to
prevent bad varieties from mixing
in.
| have some twenty varieties of
seeding peaches all raised from the
seeds of one tree. No two are alike
and part of them are free-stones and
others clings, ripening from August
to October. have some extra good
varieties and no poor ones.
In Strawberries ha | fifty varieties.
They have disappeared through cold
and drouth until only two remain,
which seem to be able to endure the
climatic changes and are of sufli-
GENTLY good quality that we think
more Of them than any of the "cele-
brated" kinds we have tried from
other climates.
In conclusion, | think raising
seedlings pays. They are native to
the place and soil and survive rs
1.-THE flttest" when others fail, re-
qulring the greatest care to exclude
the worthless before planting the
seed.
Window Gardening.
By Mrs. D. B, D. smeltzer. Read at meeting