Tbansactions at the Annual Meeting. 169 



of tlie convention; tlierefore a delegation was appointed. But 

 at the convention, the announcement made in the call virtually 

 was carried out; wine making, in connection with the best method 

 of grape cultivation for that purpose, was almost the only horti- 

 cultural subject of common interest, and that was very largely 

 local, adapted to California, Missouri, and some of the South- 

 ern States, but of little use to us. lie didn't know but that this 

 was a matter of necessity — thought perhaps it was; for the 

 variety, methods of culture, and other points connected with 

 fruit raising adapted to one locality, are not so adapted to 

 another, and that too within a very limited range sometimes; and 

 to hit upon anything of a common interest for such a gathering, it 

 must necessarily be general in its character. 



While east he took advantage of the opportunity to visit some 

 of the magnificent fruit orchards and gardens of Western and 

 Central Xew York, and was much interested and surprised at 

 the extent to which the business was carried; whole farms, 

 towns, and counties, it might be said, are there mainly devoted 

 to fruit raising. 



Mr. Peflfer gave a brief account of a visit to the experimental 

 grounds in connection with the Agricultural Department at 

 Washington, and of the Russian apple trees there. Of the 

 many varieties originally set out there, nearly all were dead, and 

 the few that were still living were nearly dead. Blight seems to 

 affect them in the dry atmosphere of Washington more than 

 here at the west, and there the Russians are an entire failure. 



Mr. Tuttle thought that this was largely due to the fact that 

 the climate at Washington was not adapted to them. The hot, 

 dry air, long summers, short and open winters were entirely dif- 

 ferent from the conditions where they were raised, much more 

 so than here. lie had experimented with them for a good many 

 years, and has varieties that he believes will prove better than 

 any apples we have. The Duchess, our hardiest and most pro- 

 ductive apple, is a Russian, and is also free from blight. Some 

 of the varieties promise to be better even than the Duchess. 

 Some of the Russians are coarse-grained and of inferior quality, 



