STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIKTY, 



23 



Question No. 5. — Is the Duchess of Oldenburg more valuable for the 

 commercial orchard or for family use than the Red Astrachan? 



Mr. Galusha. — With me — yes, for both. 



A Voice. — Red Astrachan ripens early and sells well \ it does not 

 drop from the tree as much as Duchess. 



Mr. Galusha. — The Duchess succeeds over a larger area than Red 

 Astrachan. Duchess does drop from the tree, and the fallen fruit is 

 valuable ; but when the gathering time comes the trees still hold a good 

 crop of beautiful, salable apples. Mine brought fifty to eighty cents 

 per bushel in our home market this year. 



Mr. Murtfeldt. — This Society formerly published lists of fruits 

 which it voted to recommend for cultivation, and I think it would be 

 well to take up the apple lists and discuss and vote upon the merits of 

 the different varieties — to review the Society's list. 



Mr. Wier. — The old apple lists we know are not reliable, and neither 

 can we make one now which will be reliable over the State for two years. 

 Some apples which were placed at the head of our lists we would now 

 consign to the foot. 



If I were to plant a new orchard and was confined to the two sorts 

 named in this query I would plant one thousand Duchess to one Red Astra- 

 chan ; for the Astrachan don't bear well with me nor on any soil in my 

 vicinity, and we have almost all sorts of soils. I can get ten bushels of 

 Duchess to one of Red Astrachan. 



Mr. Murtfeldt. — Trees of the Red Astrachan will bear when they 

 get older. 



Mr. Hammond. — We should profit by the remark of Mr. Murtfeldt. 

 In Hancock county Astrachan trees will bear from two to three times as 

 much as Duchess trees. They are much larger and have more bearing 

 surface of head. 



I would like to have the apple list discussed ; these varied experiences 

 are of value, for there are reasons for these results. 



Mr. Webster. — At Centralia the Duchess never gets ripe; it falls 

 from the tree. Red Astrachan tree bears well, but the fruit rots. 



Williams' Favorite and Benoni are both better than either of those 

 under discussion. 



J. T. Johnson. — In the region of Chicago, and to the north and 

 west, the Duchess is good, but not as valuable in the extreme western or 

 southern parts of the State. 



Mr. Minier. — Is not the Duchess of Oldenburg a i?«j-j/a;z apple ? 

 If so, it is of course a northern apple. 



