304 ANNUAL REPORT 



more time, we were compelled to give the allotted time here to the 

 grand arboretum and pomological gardens under the special care of 

 Dr. Fischer. The climate is very severe, on account of the hot, dry 

 summers and the liability to extreme winters, when the thermome- 

 ter goes down to -37 degrees Fahrenheit. The wide range of tem- 

 perature and humidity, joined with the habits of growth of trees on 

 this rich, deep soil, gives to the forty years of experimentation at 

 this school a very great value. Yet, of certain excellent varieties 

 of the apple and pear we find trees forty years of age with scarcely 

 a scar to indicate their fight with the many test winters. We also 

 find healthy and productive trees bearing good crops of excellent 

 cherries and plums. But in all cases the varieties are those appa- 

 rently indigenous to the far north. 



As we consider Dr. Fischer very reliable in his nomenclature and 

 opinions as to the relative value of varieties and species, we have 

 ordered here quite a large bill of scions, plants and seeds. In most 

 cases we already have small trees on the college grounds, the sorts 

 of apple and pear which Dr. Fischer has found most valuable from 

 experience and long observation. But as our means for positive 

 and fixed opinion increase we grow more anxious to spread certain 

 varieties more rapidly than we could do with the few scions now at 

 our disposal. Hence we have ordered scions in considerable quan- 

 tity of certain winter sorts of the apple, and really good varieties 

 of the pear. Of the cherry we have ordered small plants of ten 

 varieties of the Vladimir race, and a number of varieties of the 

 dwarf indigenous plum of which I have spoken as growing in the 

 far north in small shrub form. 



The place also gives us a fine opportunity to give an order for 

 many interior trees and shrubs which will prove valuable on our 

 great prairies. In this department we can make a full order of 

 things wanted for trial at one or two places, as the botanic gardens 

 and the vigilant botanists have worked up this field very efficiently. 

 But I cannot say this of horticulture. Dr. Fischer was surprised 

 when we told him of the great orchards to the northeast, where 

 varieties are grown in immense quantity which he had never seen. 

 As an instance, in the north Volga section three varieties of the 

 Anis are as nearly kings of the orchard and market as is the Anto- 

 nooka in this part. Yet Dr. Fischer had only heard that the Anis 

 existed in some parts, but he had not seen it, and we have not seen 

 it anywhere in this section. Horticulture in the various provinces 

 seems a fixed quantity, as are many of the usages and customs. The 

 work we are doing has not been done by the Russian Government 



