KUSSIAN AND OTHER FRUITS. 323 



to a more southern and longer summer so hastens the maturity of their fruit, 

 that the most of them become late summer and autumn fruits, failing parti- 

 ally, if not wholly, of a winter supply, which would be more specially desir- 

 able. 



Although the full import of such change can only be determined upon the 

 general distribution and fruiting of these introductions, which must yet re- 

 quire several years, this claim (which receives more or less confirmation from 

 the fruiting of some of the earlier introductions) finds much support from 

 the behavior of our native varieties, when thus transferred, even for short 

 distances, within our own country. 



It is urged, on the other hand, that while southern Iowa and Nebraska can 

 depend with more or less certainty upon their ability to produce a supply of 

 this fruit from some of the hardiest of our American varieties, further north 

 these utterly fail, and that in such localities, even including whole states and 

 territories, the question, practically is, apples or no apples, while with their 

 shorter seasons the objection of pre-maturity partially or wholly disappears. 



It is also very forcibly urged that the objections are being made upon results 

 from the earlier importations, which mainly came from near the sea-coast, 

 where the climate differs widely from that of the steppes, whence the later 

 and mainly untested importations have come ; also that the alleged pre- 

 maturity can not be properly estimated by desrrees of latitude, but rather by 

 isotherms; and that from this standpoint, if we trace the lines of equal sum- 

 mer temperature (as a guide to determine the relative seasons of ripening), 

 the season of central Iowa will be found to correspond with that of the region 

 in southeastern Russia, 10° or 20° further north, whence the mass of these 

 later importations came. 



In urging this consideration. Professor Budd insists that "so far as the 

 winter apples of south central Eussia have yet fruited in Iowa, they prove as 

 good keepers as in their native home. In like manner, our samples of fruits 

 and our reports from our many trial stations north show that the apples from 

 provinces in Russia farther north than Saratov mature almost exactly m 

 accordance with the lines of summer heat traced by Professor Dove across the 

 two continents." , 



Should the conclusion be accepted that the season of maturity is depend- 

 ent rather upon thermal lines than upon parallels of latitude, it appears 

 equally probable that variations of flavor or quality are similarly affected. 

 Although this may lack the authority of a determinate conclusion, it may be 

 supposed to warrant the inference that the recognized deficiency of quality 

 in the sea-coast varieties first imported was the result of causes not to be pred- 

 icted of those more recently introduced, which may, in such case, be 

 expected to more nearly retain their pristine characteristics. For these 

 reasons, if for no others, it would seem wise to give to these the benefit of a 

 full and fair trial before sitting in judgment upon them. 



Here follow several pages of quotations from growers throughout the 

 Northern States, giving their experience with Russian and our own hardier 

 varieties of apple. 



THE QUINCE. 



The common quince {Cydonia vulgctfris) is indigenous in southern Europe 

 and eastern Asia. It is said to have first attracted attention in the island of 

 Crete, from the ancient name of which its botanical title is derived. It is sue- 



