STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 245 



this State have, on actual test, found Sibcnans superior to the best varie- 

 ties of the common apple for cookinji;. Brevity will not permit me to 

 speak of all the points of merit, economy, and utility, which attach to this 

 •class of fruits; hut enough has been shown to prove that even in their 

 best pro\ided districts this new species is demonstratinj^ itself as a decided 

 addition to the pomolo;j;ical treasures of the country. Certainly we can 

 not believe that in this instance amelioration will <i^n backward. In the 

 impression already made upon the country by the irresistible logic of 

 results that have been brought about by no charlatanry of advertising, or 

 other fictitious means, we can not fail to discern the landmarks of oreniiine 

 pomological progress. The present popularity of the Transcendent aj^ple 

 can not be accounted for on any other snppo'^ition. For never did any 

 horticultural novelty reach such" reputation and sale with so little trumpet- 

 ing and push. Even its place of origin is unknown. It had no ardent 

 friends or advertisers at the start. Air. H. E. Hooker was amons" the 

 first to desseminate it from Rochester, N. Y. I le obtained it about 

 eighteen years ago, but atter a slight sale, suffered it to drop out. and for 

 years he received not an ordci. It iiail a similar course in the hands of 

 Messrs. Elwanger &. Barry. If this fruit has not found its way into pub- 

 lic favor by force of wcril, how has it arrived there.'' Who has pnfledit.' 

 What Pomologist ever described or ever noticed it until two years ago.'' 

 On the contrary, it has had to cany the odious associations of the term 

 "Crab," and fight its way against the prejudices of all classes. Yet it 

 would be entircl}' safe to estimate that it has reached a sale of several 

 millions of trees for actual planting within the last si.x years. 



The Transcendent is only a type of others that are following in its 

 steps — quietly introducing themselves without the clangor of oily tongues 

 or clatter of steel pens. 



I have thus far only alluded to the merits and success of the Siberian 

 apples in tlie most favtred fruit districts, for it is upon their true appre- 

 ciation here, when fully known, that we can correctly base our estimate 

 of their real excellence. 



I am aware that it is in its relation to the extreme ' North that the 

 Siberian species is generally referred to as the harbinger of pomological 

 progress. But while its importance to that region can scarcely be exag- 

 gerated, yet if we were to claim any merit of originalitv in this discussion 

 it would be in making the claim, tliat the improved varieties of the Sibe- 

 rian .species were destined to make innovations upon the pomology of the 

 whole country ; and (without rivaling or displacing any of our best fruits) 

 to make such desirable additions to it, as to form a distinct epoch in the 

 jorogress of that ennobling 



Art 



Which does mend nature — change it ralher — but 

 The art itself is nature." 



