46 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



they have several varieties of apples there which propagate them- 

 selves ; through a wide section of Russia the Alexander apple prop- 

 agates itself as nearly as do our native Fameuse or the Canada 

 Fameuse, varying but slightly, retaining almost the identical char- 

 acteristics, from the fact that they are fertilized from their own 

 kind. It is the opinion of Mr. Gideon that very much more may be 

 expected from this method of originating varieties than from the 

 introduction of the Russian varieties, which the Government and the 

 Wisconsin State College and Mr. Gibbs of the Quebec Agricultural 

 Society have been engaged in introducing. These Russian varieties, 

 nearly all of them, are somewhat inferior in quality, and nearly all 

 of them are summer fruits. Of course some summer fruits are de- 

 sirable, yet there is a still greater desire for something of good 

 qualit}' that will keep late. 



Certainly the State of Minnesota has set a good example in thus 

 putting this enthusiastic worker on a salary which shall enable him 

 to carrj'^ on these experiments for the benefit of the general public ; 

 for the country at large will have a share in the results of his work. 



Mr. D. H. Knowlton. So far as you know, are there any others 

 engaged in the same work in this country? 



Sec. Gilbert. Not to any considerable extent. I think, how- 

 ever, that Prof. Budd, of the Iowa State College, is engaged to 

 some extent in the propagation of varieties by this method ; but his 

 work has been largely connected with the introduction and testing 

 of the Russian fruit. Mr. Gibbs is also engaged to a limited extent 

 in the work, but he has been associated with Prof. Budd in testing 

 the Russian varieties. These two gentlemen visited Russia for the 

 purpose of examining these varieties in the home country and secur- 

 ing samples of them, scions from the trees, and forwarding them to 

 this country, for the purpose of testing them here in our own 

 climate. 



There are efforts being made in the direction of originating new 

 varieties of grapes that have been quite successful, and a consider- 

 able number of the valuable new varieties that have been introduced 

 in our country have been the resxih of this method of work. The 

 latest example of the New England grapes, I believe, is the one 

 originated by J. B. Moo're & Co., of Concord, Mass., which has 

 been in the market only one 3'ear, called the Eastern grape, a very 

 fine looking grape, and one that promises to be a valuable acquisi- 

 tion. There are many others of value, but more particularly adapted 



