55

Van Mons, Arbres fruitiers vol I — after having read pretty roughly

"A chaos of repetitions & all arranged facts", rendered doubtful by odd views & strong prejudices against mongrelism &c.— Moreover he did not separate offspring several fruit he first used— yet there is good in book.— I think he makes out the quick renewal by seed is important in raising vars. from all plants. But then he uses unripe seed always & by taking the first time plant fruits, he no doubt got less strong plants —He is never weary of talking of importance of the seed being effected[?] but not sick — I think this is probably explained by incipient sterility & consequent increase  in fruit —  Moreover he did at first used selection of the most promising seedlings — He demonstrates that the seed of best old fruit produce

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but very few good trees — & he demonstrates by above method he can get nearly all good— Moreover Belgium favourable for Pears — He demonstrates that by renouvellement fruit & flower bear in each generation, earlier— this is to me quite inexplicable. — Now by a little selection, under good circumstances & by processes probably inducing incipient sterility? it is important to find that in so sporting a tribe as pears that goodness in 4 or 5 generations becomes hereditary — He obscurely accounts for old fruit-trees &c giving seed which produce worthless plants, by the seed tending to revert to parent type; by an effort to recover its health

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it may be it gets accustomed to its varied conditions & so loose its incipient sterility, but this is not in accordance with the fruit remaining good, though he says that in old tulip the flowers do get sauvage. — I think my old view is perhaps best that by successive planting, grafting &c on different stocks & soils, tendency to vary so great that the goodness (viz size flavour &c) which is the sole quality which is wanted is lost, or almost so — but by repeated sowing under similar conditions no grafting is reacquired.

As no wild fruit wd be worth transplanting or grafting &c, the first origin of fruit, though in poor state, must have

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been in state of nature & in its own wild country (which is opposed to one of V. M.' odd views).

Reference:

Mons, Jean Baptiste van. 1835-1836. Arbres fruitiers: leur culture en Belqique et leur propagation par la graine, ou, Pomonomie Belge, expérimentale et raisonnée. On y a joint le catalogue descriptif abrégé des bons fruits nouveaux procréés et cultives a la pépinière d'expérience de l'auteur a Louvain. 2 vols. Louvain: L. Dusart & H. Vandenbrock. CUL-DAR.LIB.445 vol. 1 PDF vol. 2 PDF