The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-25
GROWERS OF FREAK FRUIT.
COPYRIGHT OR PATENT Law NEEDED
TO PROTECT THEM.


protect the products OF freak fruit growers all
over the country. II wants to secure by copy
right or patent the work OF men who spend
their time trying to cultivate new species OF
fruit and plants-mainly fruit Freak fruit
growers is what the Department OF ARrlcul-
ture calls these men. and many OF them are
connected in some way with the department.
These men grow on their own farms. after
laborious series Of experiments at grating.
such things as white black berries. frost-proof
oranges. apples which will grow down South.
oranges which have no seeds. plums which are
twice the usual size. strawberries OF peculiar
varieties. and various kinds OF grapes. Men
who devote years to the development OF freak
fruits. which are. OF course valuable on the
market. ought to DO secure In the enjoyment
OF their profits. yet there IL at present no wav
to protect them from farmer pirates who may
by accident or some other way obtain some OF
the stock.
ThsDepartment has n ot yet decided whatiorm
the proposed protection shall take. II does not
know whether to issue copyright or whether
n patent will cover the cnsc. The difficulty
will be to describe in such detail the new fruit
that II can be easily identified. In the case OF
the white blackberry-the most remarkable
fruit developed during the past year-it il OF
course easy enough to identify 1t In case OF
contem plated infringement OF the rights OF the
owner. but there are cases whore II would he
very difficult to prove that some other farmer
has attempted to steal freak fruit and plant It
upon his own land. As soon rs the difficulties
In the case are met by the comprehensive
framing OF q bill which will protect every one
Congress will be asked to pass 1t.
1t is probable that the Department will
recommend the bestowal Of cash bounty
upon every experimen inter- who succeeds In PRO-
duainU m frtiit yal IN Ia IN tha hun
This may be either in the shape OF a cash fund
given in recognition OF the efforts OF the ex-
pertmcnter or OF a cash payment. In return for
which the expermenter will reinTulsh all
right to his fruit to tho Department OF Agri-
culture. which will then distribute the stock
over the country. II Is recognized that II some
experimenter produced u seedless apple. he
would naturally want to realize as much as
possible on his fruit by selling at almost pro-
hibtive rates. The public would therefore
lose the advantage OF his discovery. II the
Department OF Agriculture undertook 10 act as
a go-between. the ariair could lie arranged
eQuitably for all concerned.
To talk OF patenting or copyrRhting a plant
may sound rather queer to the average reader.
but with the present advances in agriculture
such a course Ia apparently necessary to enable
the nurseryman to enjoy the fruit Of his labor.
This is brought about BY the advances which
have been made In the past decade in hybridz-
ing or crossing plants OF all sorts. II Is a
matter that has attracted the attention OF
scientists since the early part OF the present
century. and one sees the beautiful results in
nearly all OF the cultivated flowers which are
made to vary In form and color and to increase
In size year after year under the patient and
skilfu work OF the scientific gardener. But
this Is the least important feature OF the ad-
vances In this line The crossing OF various
sorts Of fruit trees and grains has pro-
duced some surprising results. One OF the
peculiarities OF hybrlds seems TO be that fire.
quently the offspring grows more rapidly than
the Cal Torn a black walnut ' which has s"i been
crossed with the eastern species. tho hybrid I.
its parents. and the tree itself grew moro than
Eastern markets. and which are being ex-
p paSas, 70 And the are the
the Bur bank potato. and one Of OF tn" Ei daP
ine And successful OF the ,present-day workers
H n ss nf fully TIVE t%c w *. szS d; i
parents and Is more prolific plant. MIR. bur
bank is working with several other plums.
Wickson plum as It SURPASSED tho parent stock
It is not to be supposed, however. that the
fruit OF, any sort is the work Of a single season
or merely OF swapping pollen at random among;
q ssF Sss hs If Beau
who S aysrIed that he had spoiled hatfnl q
An Indication Of this is found in a picture at
fss Mr. II the
rant and black berry canes. big a. a small cot.
Witch had developed nothng to make se' thsm
worth preserving.
bowsSsr one dS sy produce d an improvcd fruit
The catalogues OF dealers in this line seldom
quote a new plant at lees than $500 or s4OO,
have been sold at as high as $4,000. This Was Was
Recently the dealers have decided th ST IL Is
m maori 70 their advantage to keep control OF the
wood for grating Conseaue n ibis ur s tiny
wood OF high varieties Is sold at from s. to $25
THiGh his n0t so i hgh it sounds
always finds ready market at double the
price OF common stock.
to BURBANK that he is the e eny
the business. though he ls one OF the most
story Of Its DEVELOPMENT from single seed has
made MN FAMOUS throughout the agricultural
bsrsb N hiT little hni mere Of ground q New
Of Which Us Empire stas he is said to have awe
poyed In one otthe branches OF the Govern
ment printing ONCE In this city.
y. NJ hovey OF Boston IL another man who
worked orchard miracles on a fraction of an
acre OF ground; 1t Ii to him that me United
S sna practically owes its entire strawberry
INDUSTRY, Hoyey having developed a CONNER.
elal fruit from the old wild Varieties TINT We're
hardly worth the eating. 5000 "'''
Probably score Of other workers in this line
could be named, Their mum Der il incrcnstng
fanldly, az tho principles of hybridiznton arc
becoming more generally Appreciated One
Thing that holds tack men from devotnG
themselves TO this line Of research ia thnt
lhere IL no legal protection for the man who
makes an imnror"m"nt In the vegetable
World Nurserymcn say that II. by years OF pa.
larnt WORK, man can develop prUne twice az
n la,Ea hs a9y hnretofore known and which ia
cofIespondingly more valuable Tor pacEinE
ana shipping, he certainly ought 10 he pro-
lrcten IN fehpnR the reward OF his labor
lulte as much ns Tho man who nycnts a
INV NY horseshoe nail or n new pencil
shhrpeher But ~ the ease stands
v ,Hh iatter mas The patcnt law 10 protect him,
VIM" any one who can get hold Of n single seed
nl me new prun" or single spriR OF rraftinK
woon mas In his grasp whole orchard of III"
mnrw lrult, ana there is no law to stnp him
J. nls comparison happens to he no idle Smile,