182 American HorticuUural Society. 



THE HYBKID SIBERIAN APPLES OF AMERICA. 



BY T. n. IIOSKINS, M. IJ., OF VERMONT. 



The first Siberian apples (or crabs) imported into this country were the 

 varieties now universally known as the small Red and Yellow Siberians, 

 which were introduced some fifty years ago, and planted chiefly for orna- 

 ment, though often used for preserving. These are probably not the 

 original type, and, unless the Currant crab described by Downing (F. and 

 F. T. of America, p. 428) is the type form of Pifrus baccata, I know not if 

 we have it at all. The term " crab " is very vaguely used. Properly, I think, 

 it should be reserved for the wild species, though lexicographers do not so 

 limit it. Among nursery-men and fruit-growers it is applied to many small 

 culinary and cider apples of unrecorded origin, and of late the name is ex- 

 tended to a large number of improved seedlings, chiefly from the Siberians, 

 many of Avhich are believed to be, and a few of which fire known to be, 

 hybrids between the Siberians and our orchard forms of Pyrus malus. 



Neither my own time, nor the brief limits desired for the papers to be 

 read on this occasion, admit of an exhaustive treatment of my subject, and 

 I shall limit myself to notes upon the best of those believed, or known to be. 

 hybrids between P(/r?<.s h%ccata and Pi^rus malus, grown from seeds of the 

 former. In fact I know of none produced by the reverse cross, though the 

 variety called General Grant looks as though it might have had its origin in 

 that way. 



The crabs known as the Large Red and Large Yellow Siberians are, I feel 

 sure, of pure Siberian stock, as they bear no marks, in tree or fruit, of being 

 cross-bred. The earliest of the improved forms that attracted much atten- 

 tion were the Hyslop and Transcendant. While they each mark an ad- 

 vance, the first in size and the second in quality, they do not seem to me to 

 bear signs of a cross with P. malus. The Hyslop, however, by the strong 

 fragrance of its blossoms, indicates marked divergence, and may be a cross, 

 or even a seedling, from the peculiar varietj^ described by Downing as the 

 Fragrant. Of this Fragrant I have no personal knowledge, and do not know 

 which species it is to be referred to. 



A strong rival to the Transcendant, among the earlier improved Sibe- 

 rians, is the variety described by Downing, and extensively distributed by 

 American nursery-men, under the name of Montreal Beauty. This 

 variety, together with another somewhat larger and quite distinct, was 

 raised in Montreal from seed, some time between 1825 and 1830, by Robert 

 Cleghorn, and in distributing scions the names became mixed. The true 

 Montreal 'Beauty did not become popular, while the Montreal Waxen, or 

 Cleghorn's Wax, took, by force of its pleasing appearance, the name of 

 Montreal Beauty, which it still holds in most localities, though the same 

 variety is called in Vermont the Queen's Choice. 



When apple growing in Minnesota was at the lowest ebb of discourage- 



