184 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



inferior in size, color and quality. The Jonathan is not so good is ours, 

 but is more nearly equal in quality to ours than is the western Jon- 

 athan. The Baldwin of the northeast takes the place of our Jonathan, 

 but is surpassed by the latter in desert qualities. The eastern apples 

 as a whole are less regular and symmetrical in shape and color than 

 ours. In general quality, — this includes texture, flavor, and keeping 

 qualities — we must give first place to the Nebraska apples, consider- 

 ing the varieties as a whole. 



The great difference comes when we compare our own apples with 

 the western apples. Western Jonathan, Grimes, and Esopus, have 

 size superior to our own apples of the same varieties, taut in quality 

 they are very inferior indeed. The Winesap which is one of our 

 favorite commercial varieties is not grown at all commercially. 

 Western apples are very much more i:-regular in shape and color than 

 our own or the eastern apples. Taken as a whole, the fruits grow 

 longer, more regular, and the color is more in splashes while the 

 flavor is much less pleasing to the fastidious taste than the fruit 

 grown in the East or middle West. 



THE DELICIOUS APPLE. 



H. E. A'au Deiiiian. 



Washington, D. C, Jan. 6, 1914. — :\Ir. J. R. Duncan, Secy. N'ebr. 

 Hort. Soc, My Dear Sir: As I am an honorary member of your 

 society, and get all of its publications, among them the Nebraska 

 Horticulture. I read it and find in it much of interest. 



As I prepared something about that splendid new apple, the 

 Delicious, I am sending pou a copy to insert in your little pajter for the 

 good of the cause of good fruit. I think this variety deserves to be 

 generally planted by lovers of good fruit. 



It takes time to prove what there is good and bad in any new 

 fruit, and there is sure to be some faults in any variety. What is a 

 fault in one place or under certain conditions may not be elsewhere. 



It has now been about twenty years since the Delicious apple has 

 been under test in most of the apple growing sections of the country 

 and it is no longer a matter of conjecture as to the real character of 

 its tree and fruit. However, there are many who do not know what 

 these facts are, and it is proper that they should be known by all who 

 are interested in this subject. 



The original Delicious tree, which is yet livingand bearing fruit, 

 came up in 1880 as a chance seedling, on the premises of Jesse Hiatt 

 at Peru, Iowa, who was one of the pioneers of horticulture in that 

 state. He allowed it to come to bearing age and was so much pleased 

 with the appearance and flavor of the apples, that he gave them to 

 many others to test and all were so pleased with the flavour that 

 the name Delicious was given the variety. 



