STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 119 



adapted uot only to the extreme north, nourishing and bearing frail abundantly where 

 no other species will thrive ; but they answer an admirable purpose much farther 

 south. The whole belt of Middle States need them to lill up t lie gap caused by frequent 

 failures of the crop of common apples, from the extremes of a variable climate which 

 do not affect the Siberian species. I am not fully informed as to the extent of their 

 Introduction and trial at the south ; but if, as I am led to believe by the frequent in- 

 quiries received by Nurserymen at the North, they are known and appreciated there, 

 the people of those states can use them for several important purposes. As a tree of 

 ornament, in form, llowcr and foliage, as a fruit of ornament on the tree and on the 

 table, and as a choice and reliable fruit for the various uses of the kitchen and for 

 cider. 



The main, in fact the only objection to this species, is the small size of the fruit. 

 This is being remedied to some extent by the production of new seedlings of larger 

 size, hut it is not to be expected that this will cease to be a point of comparison soon 

 at least. At the extreme north this objection can easily be overlooked; its complete 

 hardiness more than compensating for paucity of size in the fruit. This (Unit is also 

 le-scued by the extreme delicacy of the skin of this fruit, rendering it entirely unneces- 

 sary to remove it for any purpose, and also by the compactness of the core, rendering it 

 easy of separation from the pulp when cooked or preserved. These are points of very 

 favorable comparison in the cost of preparing fruit for use. The Transcendent Crab is 

 already grown to such an extent in Minnesota, that the fruit has acquired a reputation 

 in the markets of St. Paul, and is actually preferred to the best imported New York 

 and Ohio apples for the kitchen, notwithstanding its smaller size. I obtained these facts 

 from parties on the spot in September last. Those however, who judge the size of the 

 Transcendent, by the common Red and Yellow Siberians will form a very erroneous 

 • pinion of its marketable appearance. 



The many good points pertaining to this species, among them those thus briefly ad- 

 verted to, and its consequent importance to the Horticultural interests of this continent, 

 must form the apology for this imperfect essay, which is designed more to draw the at- 

 tention of Pomologista to the subject, than to state any (acts m u to them. Everything 

 that may add to the resources, the comforts, the luxuries or the reputation of our coun- 

 try, should engage the attention of every high-minded citizen. The pursuit of Horticul- 

 ture can never engender anything but the purest patriotic pride in the hearts of its devo- 

 tees, and there is no reason why the Pomologists of this continent should not only aspire 

 to the honor of disseminating throughout our own borders, but even to send back to the. 

 home of their original species, new and improved fruits, which our own peculiar necessi- 

 ties and exigencies, or our labor, skill and genius have called into existence. Then- can 



be no more promising or profitable theme than the improvement of the apple, and its 

 adaptation to the varied requirements of our wide domain, so wide and so varied thai wa 

 can not afford to neglect or ignore a single variety of worth, much Less a whole species, 

 which gives promise of untold value to some sections, and is not without Lnteresl in all. 

 in conclusion then, we claim that tins question of hardy and useful apples, for the 

 whole American continent from the most northern civilized portions to the southern lim- 

 it of the apple, is the most Important one within the present range of horticultural in- 

 quiry. And that it ought to be considered by the Pomologists of this country, in that 

 patriotic and cosmopolitan .-pirit which should characterize the citizens of the freest and 

 most rapidly developing country on the globe, and also that in its discus-ion, the Siberian 



