The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-10-09
wIfAaOs Win fNUfra.


rhey seem 70 be enemies OF notfre.
yet are sol so. and the products cf
their mage are neyerending These
wizards OF horticulture are men Of
learning who. knowing all about
/ plants and fruits and the possibilities
sf each, help nature in bringing 'orth
tho best results They study the hab-
It's os these with care They pIaht
aud plant. examine and re.examine.
watching always how nature asserts
ncreelf One OF these wizards a mot |
8st man. who loves fruits and flowers,
lives in California and there. in cit
mate wonderfully suited for ;he
growth Of everything in great protrs'
ior. produces marvels OF horticulturs
lbst have made him known through !
out the world II one were to sck Mr..
Luther Burbank, the wizard Of whola
we speak. to tell us Of lis WORK, iie
would doubtless repiy: Il am pat
one OF tho present generation trying
10 solve the riddle Of the sphinx lIo
would point TO his own gardens and
,rsenhouses to show how far he has
succeeded in his quest BY We mere
process OF elimination and Selection
he has made nature almost understand
herself, and the results OF his sciea.
tiac plant breeding have been so &c
markable that one wonders what The
future win Hing forth.
One of his achievements is the
stcneless plum; another tho pitless
prune The names themselves tell
sunicient story. for we have become
so accustomed in the past to have
st,.ry plums and prunes that crs
would seem without them at verlta.
hle loss But there Is more in It tbaa
the name Ii Is but one example OF
the stoneless fruit of the future which
ali scientific horticulturalists ara
s.udying merely because the great
. public does not want to be bothered
by the stones Ths investigations.
: however. are laborious aud the results
ccme tardily. To obtain one stoneicss
prt nc has required the cultivation Of
. many variety OF prunes, each with a
diffe1ent tasta In appearance .his
, p,oduct resembles the common csli;.
oiuia prune. but it is larger in size
and natures earlier. II is the Off
spring of French father and IS
about three times the size OF its lar.
snts.
, The whole thing is moro or less =
a family afair-marriage between dit.
, fcrent individuals in the world of
fruit snt' fo%srs. The so-called plum.
cot which we all may be eating W IN
gusto In q year or two. is a result OF q
happy union between father apricot
and mother plum Those who know
the delicious apricot and plum need
nor bs told how much the two ,oos
alike, but how different they taste.
l The plumcot is. therefore a distinctive
fruit; "as distinct" says its cres tor.
"as il new fruit had been handed
down from another planet" 1t has tha
general form of an apricot and the
same outside appearance. bu, Il Is
more highly colored, has soft skin
and a shadowy bloom. 1t possesses en-
indescribably delicious flavor,
= In turning cut the white blackberry
II Just wonder over this for a moment
r aud think what those two words mean
n Mr. Burbank IS said to have applied
a. the Darwiniar theory inverseiy He
4. kept on selecting berries which in rip.
ening did not become pure black and
. finally got a bush IN which the fruit
n. changed frcm the green OF immaturity
o to pure white. This involved the ex-
"a termination of some $4,000 blackber.
L ~ bushes several times in several sue.
d oceding years. The painstalSing en.
.s ergy necessary in such a search is
IL E.cely suggested by such figures
% His Shasta daisy is a combination
Of the free lowering American daisy
aud II is the result of eight years
70 work in the hybridization and selec.
q ton. The merit OF this flower. which
viii particularly appeal TO those OF a
q gardening bobby. is its hardness. II
. grows and blooms wherever the tak
d lives; 1t is perennial. and has a large
D blossom. OF dazzling whiteness.
d borne on a long. stiff stem that makes
tho flower very valuable for cutting.
AS each individual bloom may attain
y a diameter Of over four inches, the ef
IA feet produced by thousands may be
+ morc easily imagined than described.
OF late years much OF the best *.
|. perimental wark on fruit and vegats.
y b'cs has been done in America oy the
b bureau OF plant industry in the de
y partment OF agriculture at Washing,
ter. The laboratory OF plant breed,
y Ing. wider the charge OF DR.. Herbert
II ]. Webber has been responsible for
many distinct novelties. DIR. Webber
g oallobOrates with Mr.. Walter G. Swla-
b gle. Among their successes may be
Y mentioned new grape fruit. or shad
dock, Grass between the kid-g,oys
3 orange or tangerine with the ordinary
q grape fruit Another success is a new
~ nrapUa fruff Auntha- s,,..... L. .