ILLINOIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 271 



I iii:iko no prctfusioiis in scioncc.'or pomology, but tlicro is a class of men who sft-ni to ignore the 

 fact that tile State of Illinois covers a number of ae!,'r>'<'S of latitude in extent, from north to south, 

 and that the fruits and the varieties which maybe adapted to the central and southern portions of 

 the State, may not be adapted to its northern portions. And furthermore, as 1 understand it, this 

 Society of Northern Illincds is organized for the particular purpose of attending to tlie wants of our 

 own portion of the State, without any interference with or detraction from the views and measures 

 of tlie organizations whose wants and conditions are ditterent from ours. Indeed, we can safely say, 

 as men wlio accept the situation and are proud of tlie capacities and future prospects of the section 

 in wliich we live, that our t!iocii'ty should be niaile in every respect the peer of any organization of 

 tlie same eliaracter, in the whole State. As horticulturists we have the brains, tlie soil and the 

 means, and we should be ashamed not to possess tlie energy and enthusiasm which will not fail to 

 make our Society self-supporting, independent and etlicient for the purpose lor which we labor. 

 With so many resources as we possess, it is and ouglit to be a burning disgrace to us to allow our 

 l>roceedings, as we did last year, to be i)rinted in a volume which assigns to us only a subordiiuite 

 and local imsition, not more prominent than some single county society. 



lint 1 am diverging from the subject, which was to consider some of the new varieties which prom- 

 ise hardiness and productiveness beyond any older varieties, which for the last twenty years have 

 caused so much disappointment, loss and discouragement. 



The Duchess of Oldenburg is a perfect type of the class called Kusslan apples, and if crops that I 

 have raised on sixty-two trees for the past live years may be taken as an example of productiveness 

 of'the new kinds which are now being tested, it is certainly aiiroinising experiment. 



This variety (the Duchess) is found ipiite hardy as far north as St. Paul, Minnesota, but unfor- 

 tunately it does not till the jilace of a winter apple, and if among the nineteen varieties which I now 

 offer to this Society, should be found one winter fruit as hardy and productive as the Duchess, I 

 should consider it a more enduring and lionorable monument than to have a marble stal lie erected to 

 niy memory. 



But it is olijected to these fruits that they are coarse and not equal to tlie older sorts in flavor, 

 tiranted; but are we to reject the fruits which nature lias placed within reacli of the poorest and 

 humblest citizen, who, but for these hardy fruits would as seldom know the flavor of an apple, as 

 we do of the pine apple? 



The great Nortliwesf, including North Dlinois, on Its southern boundry, and tlie extensive wheat- 

 growing regions of ISritish America, on its nortliern frontier, is a region vast in its extent and 

 important in its future destinies. In all this immense region, there is every i-eason to believe that 

 the improved Kussian and Siberian apples will find a congenial home, while most of the older and 

 more tender sorts will be partially or wholly excluded. 



We are aware tliat the wliole of this great territory, including the northern part of this State, is 

 looked uj)on by fruit culturists further south as the "'natural market for their products." Hence, 

 some have gone so far as to discourage anil sneer at the idea of introducing coarse Kussian apjilcs 

 and Siberian crabs into our discussions, and who, by certain line spun theories and impracticable 

 expedients, would induce us to believe tliat we can render hardy the old time favorites, which, 

 during a (|uarter of a century we have found it impracticable to grow in our capricious climate. But 

 the people of Nortlieun Illinois have suffered too much in time, money and disappointment, to 

 allow them to discard such promising sources of supply for that most iudlspensable of fruits for all 

 seasons, the apple, and that, too, grown in our own orchards. 



We feel here a common sentiment with our neighbors in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, one of 

 whose delegates has so truthfully described "our trials, our soils, our climate and our condition" to 

 be theirs. 



The Northwest Is undoubtedly the most promising, and at the same time the most difliciilt field for 

 the fame of those who asi)ire to become our National Pomologists, a fact that some societies and 

 horticiilturalists further south may well take note of. Meanwhile, as true patriots and philanthro- 

 pists, and 'genuine lovers of Nature's good gifts, let us continue our efforts to improve and disseiu- 

 Inate the fruits which Nature distributes as the reward of patience and industry. 



The growing interest we have in hardj- varieties ol apples should make this subject 

 of interest to every grower of fruit. This Society was formed to meet the exigency of 

 our portion of the State. We have the brains, and we have the energy also, to carry 

 out those interests which will improve and bless this great Northwest. The Duchess 

 of Oldenburg is a peerless type. Their excellencies are these: Hardiness, produc- 

 tiveness, beauty, excellence, suitability. Some are early fruit, some are late keepers, 

 and though they may be rather coarse in flesh, they will always secure a prolitalile 

 market. In closing, the essayist oflered nineteen scions, one of each variety, to each 



