The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-10-15
Edited by F. Walden

referred to has some striking state
ments about such freaks. Gray says:
In cultivation where variations are
looked after and cared for, very strik-
ing differences come to light; and If
in wild nature they are less common
and less conspicuous, it is partly be-
cause they are uncared for. When
such variant forms are pretty well
marked they are called varieties"
Races, in. fact, can hardly, if at all,
be said to exist Independently of man.
But man does not really produce them.
Such peculiarities-often surprising
enough-now and then originate we
know not how-the plant sports, as
the gardeners say; they are only pre-
served propagated, and generally fur
Their developed by the cultivator's
skillful care: If left alone, they are
likely to dwindle and perish, or else
revert to the original form of the
species"
We have growing on our fruit ranch
nectarines where we planted peach
seeds This will often occur. These
nectarines on our place are Of differ
ent sizes and colors. These might
come from cross fertilization if such a
thing ever occurred. Sometimes, but
rarely, a single nectarine will be found
growing on a peach tree and in the
midst of peaches. Sometimes, and
that, too, is rare, one side of peach
may be smooth and the other side fuz.
zy. Less than a month ago one of
my sons and I were passing through
our peach orchard when he found a
ioh
as plum and the other side fuzzy.
The tree on which we found this curl
osity was loaded with peaches. There
was not nectarine tree within quar-
ter of a mile of the tree on which this
freak was found.
The explanation given in the clip
ping from the Yakima Republic that
''the freak growth is the result Of two
germs being united by an ordinary
honey bee'' will not stand for a mo-
ment. There is no question about
honey bees and other insects carrying
pollen from one tree to another. We
are very much dependent on insects
in this work Of cross pollination, for
without this, many trees would be
sterile in whole or in part. But here
cross pollination does not affect the
fruit but only the seed. To secure
the cross we must plant the seed. We
have in at least dozen cases two
varieties of apples growing On the
same tree. We have several trees
bearing Jonathans and Yellow New
town Pippins. This occurred through
mistake of our CRATER who got his
scions mixed But each variety re-
mains unchanged and bears it's own
variety of fruit and this would be true
if hundred varieties of apples grew
on the same tree. How fortunate it Is
for the fruit grower that cross fertiliz-
alton does not show till we plant the
seed If the fruit was directly affect
ed, then we could have no permanency
in our fruits unless we grew them far
from each other-perhaps not less
than mile apart AS honey bees and
other insects fly about in our or
chards at blooming time and thus car
ry pollen from tree to tree and the
wind carries the pollen to some ex-
tent, what a motley mess we would
have at picking time if there was any
truth in the explanation given in this
clipping. The wise Architect who pre-
sided over the forces that produced
our fruits never allowed such mis-
take to occur. Nature in her opera
tons is not guided by chance, but by
an Infinite Intelligence. Even if cross
fertilization did affect the pericarp,
which is the edible part of the fruit,
it would be ludicrous to say that one
side of an apple or peach or any other
fruit was affected by one germ and the
other side by another germ, for it
must be remembered that each sepa-
rate apple or peach comes from one