144 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



inches in diameter. Tlie fruit lias a heavy blue bloom which is very at- 

 tractive. Trees two and three years old in the nursery row fruited freely. 

 The fruit is solid of flesh like the male parent, and unlike the native 

 which are juicy and soft when ripe. 



"Opata." — From the Sioux Indian word meaning "bouquet." Its fe- 

 male parent is the Dakota sand cherry and its male parent the Gold 

 plum, a very large Japanese variety originated by Luther Burbank and 

 which sold for $3,000. It is a strong grower and resembles the male 

 parent in form. Fruit buds set freely on one year shoots in the nursery 

 row. It is a trifle smaller than the Hanska, and is dark purplish red 

 with blue bloom. Flesh is green, firm, and subacid, like the sand cherry 

 and with the rich sweetness of the Gold plum. It ripens very early and 

 has no competition on the markets when it ripens in Dakota, July 15. 



"Sapa." — From the Indian word "black." Its female parent is the 

 western sand cherry and its male parent the Sultan plum, a Japanese 

 variety originated by Burbank. It resembles the male very closely ex- 

 cept in size, being smaller. While this one as well as those described 

 above are not large the pits are exceptionally small, making a large per- 

 centage of the fruit flesh. 



THE FRUIT SHOW. 



The fruit show was staged in the rotunda of the capitol building. 

 About twenty-five thousand plates of apples and over two hundred boxes 

 were exhibited. The box display attracted much attention, of which it 

 was very deserving. The large part of the show was made up of the 

 standard winter varieties, with which the Nebraska growers are quite 

 familiar, yet there were a number of summer and fall varieties shown. 

 The following" varieties were among those shown in boxes: Willow 

 Twig, Gano, Ben Davis, Jonathan, Roman Stem, Rome Beauty, Sheriff, 

 York Imperial, Genet, Delicious, N. W. Greening, Black Twig, Winesap, 

 and Pewaukee. 



The exhibitors were very enthusiastic over their experience with the 

 box packages. From talking with several it was learned that 10 to 100 

 per cent more per bushel was being received from the boxed fruit than 

 from that packed in barrels. 



A number of seedlings of promise and new varieties were exhibited. 

 The Winter Maiden Blush exhibited by Charles O. Garrett of Mitchell- 

 ville appeared to be a valuable sort not grown in Nebraska, and which it 

 might be well for our growers to investigate. Compared with the Maiden 

 Blush it is larger, of equal appearance, better quality, a late winter 

 keeper, and the tree is said to be hardy, a strong grower, and pro- 

 lific. From our impression of this apple we are inclined to think that it 

 could be made a strong rival for the Winter Banana, prized so highly in 

 the West and which is not adapted to Nebraska conditions. 



