96 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



with lis in the renewal system Avith the p^rape. In the cherry season 

 whole trains are loaded with cherries for Moscow, Tula, St. Peters- 

 hurg and other principal cities of the plain. All the varieties are 

 called '^Vladimir,"' yet they differ widely in size, color, and excellence 

 of flavor. The best are nearly sweet and very much better than any 

 cherry we can grow on our prairies. 



This raml:)ling talk is a seeming departure from the topic named 

 in the heading of this paper, " The Fruit Question in the Prairie 

 States," but Ave must not forget that our orchard fruits are not na«- 

 tive to our continent, and I wished to draw attention to the fact that 

 we have reason to believe that some part of the great east plain of 

 Europe has the apples, pears, cherries, and perhaps plums, suited to 

 every part of the Great West and Northwest, even to the base of the 

 Rocky Mountains and to Lake Winnipeg on the north. 



So far in our history our experimental horticulture has been a 

 thing of chance. We have followed the lead of the States east of 

 the great lakes. Should we not commence to row our own horticul- 

 tural boat, procuring our trial fruits from a like rather than from 

 such an unlike country as Europe south of the Carpathians and the 

 Caucasus ? 



While hopeful and even certain in regard to our prospective 

 gain in the introduction of the fruits I have named, with the proba- 

 ble addition of the apricot, we will not be likely to receive from any 

 part of Europe varieties of the peach, grape, raspberry, or strawberry 

 superior to those we now have. Eastern Asia has peaches hardier 

 than the Persian form common to Europe and America, specimens of 

 which we have in our college collection. And Persia has grapes, 

 tons of which we saw on the Volga, promising for trial where the 

 common peach will grow, and farther north with winter covering. 

 The fruit is fifty per cent, better than any of our native forms, and 

 the foliage will bear a dry air and a hot sun as well as our Labrusca. 



Dr. Sanborn — I wish to call attention to the statement of the 

 Professor that he traveled for several days through orchards loaded 

 with fruit, in a latitude where the mercury sinks to 58° below zero. 

 Their trees are low headed bushes rather than trees. Let us try this 

 plan and perhaps we may obtain better results. 



Prof. Budd — Mr. Charles Gibbs, of Canada, took great interest 

 in these dwarf-appearing trees, loaded with high-colored and really 

 good fruit, found in the Province of Kazan. The idea I want to get 

 at is that there is a fruit for every section. We are disseminating 

 varieties gratuitously; commenced four years ago. Cions of over 

 three hundred varieties have been sent us, which we have mainly 

 propagated by top-working on hardy trees like Grros Pomier and 



