In this entertaining volume, the origin and development of the fruits
peculiar to North America are inquired into, and the personality of
those horticultural pioneers whose almost forgotten labors have given us
our most valuable fruits is touched upon. There has been careful
research into the history of the various fruits, including inspection of
the records of the great European botanists who have given attention to
American economic botany. The conclusions reached, the information
presented, and the suggestions as to future developments, cannot but be
valuable to any thoughtful fruit-grower, while the terse style of the
author is at its best in his treatment of the subject.
THE EVOLUTION OF OUR NATIVE FRUITS discusses The Rise of the
American Grape (North America a Natural Vineland, Attempts to
Cultivate the European Grape, The Experiments of the Dufours,
The Branch of Promise, John Adlum and the Catawba, Rise of
Commercial Viticulture, Why Did the Early Vine Experiments
Fail? Synopsis of the American Grapes); The Strange History of
the Mulberries (The Early Silk Industry, The "Multicaulis
Craze,"); Evolution of American Plums and Cherries (Native
Plums in General, The Chickasaw, Hortulana, Marianna and Beach
Plum Groups, Pacific Coast Plum, Various Other Types of Plums,
Native Cherries, Dwarf Cherry Group); Native Apples
(Indigenous Species, Amelioration has begun); Origin of
American Raspberry-growing (Early American History, Present
Types, Outlying Types); Evolution of Blackberry and Dewberry
Culture (The High-bush Blackberry and Its Kin, The Dewberries,
Botanical Names); Various Types of Berry-like Fruits (The
Gooseberry, Native Currants, Juneberry, Buffalo Berry,
Elderberry, High-bush Cranberry, Cranberry, Strawberry);
Various Types of Tree Fruits (Persimmon, Custard-Apple Tribe,
Thorn-Apples, Nut-Fruits); General Remarks on the Improvement
of our Native Fruits (What Has Been Done, What Probably Should
Be Done).
LESSONS WITH PLANTS: Suggestions for Seeing and Interpreting Some of the
Common Forms of Vegetation. By L. H. BAILEY, Professor of Horticulture
in the Cornell University, with delineations from nature by W. S.
HOLDSWORTH, of the Agricultural College of Michigan.