308 ~ BOAKD OF AGRICULTUKK. 



Orleans the other day about this apple, and he tells me that it is the 

 leading apple on his place smkI is full of first-class fruit this year. The 

 apple is DiMicr ihnn tin- Men Davis, is a better apple raw, and is better 

 cooked. 1 tliinlv it is an apple that will be pretty generally planted. 

 It is a winter apple, and is a very fair keeper. 



Another api)le is the Gano, which originated in Missouri some years 

 ago. and for several years 1 was Inclined to think that it was no 

 improvement over the Ben Davis, but last year we had a fair crop 

 of them and 1 put it to the test, and found that It was very much su- 

 perior. The trees are Identical; 1 can not tell the two apart. So far 

 as 1 can see the trees are Just alike in every way. It matures a little 

 earlier and will not keep quite as well. Probably the skin is finer. 

 It cooks up loose and tender. It is not the Black Ben Davis. It was 

 thought for some time that it was, but it has been proved beyond any 

 question that it is not. This apple originated in Arkansas. 



1 wish to speak of the Black Ben Davis in this connection. It has 

 not fruited to any considerable extent in this State, yet, where it has 

 fruited it has attracted attention and seems to be an apple of merit. 

 1 hesitate to recommend at all anything that has not been pretty well 

 tested, because we fall down on new varieties occasionally, and 1 do 

 not care to lead anyone astray in recommending new varieties. The 

 Black Ben Davis is rather more highly colored than is the original 

 Ben Davis, and the fruit is a little larger. It fruits a little earlier than 

 the Ben Davis, and the fruit is supposed to be better in quality. That 

 I have not tested. 



1 lielieve this covers my list of five varieties. 1 expect all of you 

 have varieties that you would like to recommend, and if so now is your 

 opportunity, for 1 have said my piece. 



President Stevens: Has anyone else a better list than Mr. Hobbs 

 has presented to usV We would like to hear from our Wolf River man 

 to see what he thinks of the Wolf River at this time. 



Mr. Zion: 1 feel as If 1 should say something concerning this apple. 

 1 planted six or seven trees in my orchard. The wood is almost as 

 hard as gninge wood. The trees are very full. The trouble Is it bears 

 too heavily, but this is no criticism of the apple. 1 suppose half of 

 the seven that 1 planted are disfigured from breaking on account of 

 overloading. The fruit should be thinned, but you seldom find people 

 that will do this. This is the trouble with people In Indiana. 1 also 

 like the Longfield. It is a lovely cooker, and makes most excellent 

 cider. 1 made several gallons of cider last year; in fact 1 thought 

 that was about all the apple was fit for, but 1 found the trouble was 

 that they were overloaded. As 1 said in the beginning a number of 

 my trees are broken down and disfigured because 1 neglected to thin 

 them. It is hard to get people to spray fruit, and you need not expect 



