48 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



ing all the facts before you. It is for your interests that this 

 money is to be expended, and while the final decision of the 

 matter must be referred to the Executive Board, suggestions or 

 requests will be in order, and I hope will be freely given. I 

 trust every member will take an active interest in this subject. 

 Of course some questions will take more than one year to settle, 

 but if we start right, and spend this money judiciously, I have 

 no fear but what future legislatures will continue the appro- 

 priation. 



Just now the question of new hardy fruits, especially apples 

 and pears, is an important one, and having the past season, in 

 company with our Secretary, made an extended trip through 

 Wisconsin and Minnesota to investigate the desirability of the 

 Russian and other northern varieties of apples for Illinois, I feel 

 constrained to say that the discovery of a hardy variety of winter 

 apples for this State that will fulfill all the requirements, is much 

 more likely to be discovered within the borders of our own great 

 State than outside of it. It is possible that it exists here now. 

 Many varieties of apples are not propagated outside of the neigh- 

 borhood or farm of the originator, because no one has taken the 

 trouble to introduce them. I know of a number of such in- 

 stances and have heard of many more. In this connection would 

 it not be a wise act for our Executive Board to appoint a commit- 

 tee on new fruits, whose duty it should be to visit the grounds of 

 the originator of a new apple, and investigate its qualities, and 

 if promising, secure trees or cions for our experiment stations 

 and report upon them? 



If it is also thought best to continue the investigation of 

 Russian varieties of fruit, would it not be a good plan for the 

 Societies of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota to pe- 

 tition congress to send a commission, composed of three horti- 

 culturists, to Russia to investigate and select the best varieties 

 they could find for testing? The number of varieties has entered 

 more largely into previous selections than quality. It is quality 

 we want and this we should have. 



The Horticultural Department of our State Fair is not a credit 

 to the fruit interests of the State, and this is largely due to the 

 faulty arrangement of the premiums and the small amount of 

 money offered. The Stock Breeders and Dairy Associations 

 look after their interests in this annual exhibit, and it would not 

 be unbecoming for this society to appoint a committee, or for 

 the Board to properly bring this subject to the attention of the 

 State Board of Agriculture and suggest needed reforms. If we 

 do not take an interest in this subject, who will? While we are 

 not officially responsible as a society for this exhibit, we should 

 endeavor to have it represent, as far as possible, the great fruit 

 interests of the State. 



