RUSSIAN AND OTHER FRUITS. 301 



'been the parent of our modern Heart, Bigarrcau, and Duke varieties, and 

 from Prunus cerasus, from which are supposed to have originated the 

 Morellos. 



The former cannot be considered hardy, either north or west of southern 

 New England and New York, and only partially so in southern Michigan ; 

 while from one cause or another the entire class utterly fails further west- 

 ward and northward. 



The Morellos, which in average seasons have been at least partially suc- 

 cessful in the latitude of northern Illinois and central Iowa and to some 

 extent even further north, were sadly injured during recent trying winters, 

 compelling the conviction that for the regions northward and westward their 

 failure may fairly be deemed a foregone conclusion, except, perchance, in 

 specially favorable localities. 



AVithin comparatively a few years several varieties, among which may be 

 named Leib, Ostheim, Wragg, and perhaps others, have been put forward as 

 having successfully withstood these trying paroxysms, and for this reason 

 have attracted much attention. Upon inquiry, several, if not all, of these 

 are reputed to have been incidental importations from central or eastern- 

 Europe, and to have inherited their hardiness from the typical varieties of 

 those regions. 



Under these circumstances the Iowa Agricultural College, through J. L. 

 Budd, its professor of horticulture, made a careful study of the cherries of 

 central and eastern Europe during the summer of 1882, together with com- 

 parisons of the climate with that of Iowa and the adjacent regions. 



Becoming assured that certain of the typical cherries of Silesia, Poland, and 

 southern Russia were superior in quality to those heretofore successfully grown 

 in Iowa, and, moreover, that the similarity of climatic conditions warranted 

 the hope that they would also prove successful here, during the spring of 1884 

 about forty varieties of cherries were successfully imported from those regions, 

 planted in orchard at the college, and their propagation comenced for the 

 purpose of distribution and trial in the norihwest. 



It is by no means warrantable to assume, in advance of thorough trial, that 

 these novelties are to be relied on to supply the existing need, although a. 

 very recent examination, not only of the original trees planted in the orchard 

 at the college, but also of those now in nursery there, made since the extreme 

 heat and drought of the past summer (1887), shows their growth to have been 

 strong, while the rich, glossy foliage was as healthy and perfect as could be 

 desired, thus pretty thoroughly demonstrating the fact of their suflBcient 

 hardiness in this latitude, together with their ability to resist the depletory 

 influences of extreme aridity. 



The effect of the change of ten or fifteen degrees of latitude upon their 

 productiveness, and possibly even upon the quality of the fruit, can only be 

 certainly determined by their actual fruitage through perhaps a series of years. 



Uncertain as the result of this experiment must, so far, be considered, it 

 seems to offer the chief apparent prospect for a home supply of this desirable 

 fruit for the extreme north and northwest east of the continental divide. 



Of the varieties thus imported and on trial on the college grounds, Profes- 

 sor Budd lists and describes Vladimir, Bessarabian, Lutovka, Nos. 23, 24, 26, 

 and 27, Orel ; the varieties given by numbers being of the Bessarabian race. 



Another class of varieties, which are designated as the Ostheim Weichseli 

 family, includes Strauss Weichsel, Frauendorfer Weichsel, Susse Frlih Weich- 



