The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-09-28
LAWS OF CHANGE IN PLANTS

derstand the nature of the organism
is to know what to do in grating,
breeding. propagating and pruning.
To understand the nature of the en-
vironment, as to know what soil,
water, fertilizer and climate are best
adapted to the plant.
No two plants are exactly alike. No
two grains of wheat or corn; no two
leaves or blades of grass; no two
birds or beasts; no two specimens of
fruit or members of the human race,
are exactly alike. The difference may
be small, in fact they are often so
small that they are scarcely discern
ible; but there sr- always slight diff
ferences, and sometimes they are very
marked. Take as an illustration, two
acorns so nearly alike that no one
can detect with the natural eye a diff
ference. Plant one of them in the
mountain regions of Pennsylvania, or
Kentucky, and it will become a mag
nificent tree; plant the other in the
plains of Western Kansas and if it
lives at all it will be scraggy,
bushy scrub. What caused the diff
ference? Not a difference in the po
tential power of the acorn, but diff
ference in the environment
1t is so with apples, as it is with
other trees or plants. The Baldwin
apple is at home in the state of New
York, and there it reaches its best
development. The Yellow NeWtown,
, or Albermarl Pippin, is equally at
home in a section of the mountain
region of Virginia. The home of the
Ben Davis is the Ozark mountains
There are adaptations of fruit trees
to the climate, and the conditions of
the country. The Winesal. for in
stance should not be grown near the
mountains of this part of the coun-
! try, because it is small and needs a
| longer season and warmer climate
than is common in the higher eleva-
, lions, while it's larger brothers will
grow to be sufficiently large. The
| Jonathan, near the foot hills. will
grow to be a good size, and will keep
longer than the same apple grown in
| the lower valley. In the lower valley
the apples color and ripen a little
earlier than in the upper valley and
the farther toward the mountains the
, shorter the seasons, and the later the
fruit in ripening.
Struggle for Existence.
| Perhaps nothing tends more to
change the character of plants, or
fruits, than the struggle for exist
ence. Trees and plants compete with
each other for the right to live. Orch
| arI iua tor
have no competition from weeds. If
properly prunel they do not compete
with useless branches for the right to
bear fruit; nor with an over supply
of fruit for the proper developm ent
| of a reasonable crop.
There is no limit to change in Ma
ture. any more than there is a limit
to Infnity Every improvement in
| mechanics is only a basis for further
| Improvements. Burbank has proved
that any plant, shrub or tree can be
improved infinitely. From the crab
there have grown more than a thou
sand varieties of apples and the num-
Der is being increased every year. Be
sides, improvements of existing varie-
ties are progressing with marvellous
skill. 1t is possible, or even proba BILE
that the apples of the next century
will be as far ahead of the best We
have now as those we have now are
ahead of the little green seeding oil
the orchards of New England 100
years ago Furthermore. within two
| centuries. the fruits of that age viii
be as far ahead of what we have now
as those we have now are ahead ot
the crab. In fact. with our increas
ing knowledge of biology, chemistry