320 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The Iowa Agricultural College, from the outset, seems to have made an 

 earnest elTort for the development of the horticulture, and especially the pom- 

 ology of the state. An early step in this direction was the plaati ig of an ex- 

 tensive orchird, comprising the varieties at the time considered hardy in the 

 state. The increased severity of subsequent winters began to tell upon it, 

 and when it began to show serious signs of failure, another plantation was 

 made of iron-clads, to be top grafted with such varieties as were reputed to 

 be specially hardy. Among these were a considerable number of local seed- 

 lings, which had acquired special reputation for hardiness. These were in- 

 terspersed with some selected Russiun varieties, thus affording a comparative 

 trial of the two. In the summer and fall of 1887 many of these last were 

 bearing fine crops, while, as stated by Professor Budd, the recent exceptional 

 winters had almost wholly swept away the supposed hardy natives interspers- 

 ed among them, while the remains of the older orchard were being dug out 

 and burned. 



Doubtless, under the influence of discouragements akin to those already 

 described, Mr. A. G. Tuttle, of Baraboo, Wis., imported scions of Russian 

 apples probably as early as 18G6 or 1867, which he proceeded to propagate, 

 test, and disseminate. To these he subsequently added varieties from other 

 and larer importations, so that he now has a very considerable orchard exclu- 

 sively of Russian varieties in full hearing. 



A visit to this orchard in August last found several of the earliest varieties 

 already past season, while others were ripe or rapdly approaching maturiry, 

 affording apparent ground for the claim that, owing to chanere of latitude, 

 or other cause, there is among them a d ficiency of long keepers. However 

 this may be, the trees which had withstood, the trials of the recent severe win- 

 ters were almost universally sound anil health v, excepting that a very consid- 

 erable number of them gave evidence of the effect of blight upon the younger 

 branches during the past summer. 



The healthy condition of this orchard (and the same is true of at lpa-<t 

 another in the vicinity) was in strong contrast with that of other trees upon 

 the same premises, except of such of our native varieties as have usu4,lly 

 been considered very hardy, such as Fameuse, Willow, Ben Davis, Grim-^'s 

 Golden, and others, many of which showed serious, if not even fatal, mjnry, 

 doubtless the effect of the trying winters already referred t •. 



The U. S. Department of Agriculture also, in 187'), made an importation 

 of scions from Russia, of which a list of numbered varieties is published, and 

 the scions widely distributed for trial. The Runsian names were so ditticnlt 

 of pronunciation, that even yet they are very commonly referred to by numb m-s 



An early test of a very consilerable number of these, inclmling perhaps 

 some of their own importations, was made by EUwanger & liarry, of Rnchester, 

 N. v., by the planting and fruiting of them in their trial grounds. 



An examination of ttiese in fruit, in company with W. C. Birry. early in 

 September, 188.3. showed nearly all these, even then, fully ripe or already 

 over-ripe; and the quality, without exception, proved to be so low. that the 

 general conviction was tha^ their chief value mufst be suppo-ed to consi-t in 

 their ability to transmit their probable hardiness to a progeny of new origi:.a- 

 tioiis of higher quality. 



In 1878 or 1879 the authorities of the Iowa State Agricultural College 

 deputed Prof. J. L. Budd to arrange for the importation of trees, plants, and 

 scions from localities in central and eastern Europe in which, from similarity 



