ANNUAL REPORT OF SEEDLING COMMITTEE, I9O4. 163 



The standard of excellence in seedlings apples has been 

 placed so high there are but few kinds that possess enough 

 points of value to make them worthy of propagation. We may 

 not be able to produce at once those kinds that will be adapted to 

 all our climatic conditions, soils and environments, but we hope 

 by united effort to succeed in raising trees that will possess 

 enough good qualities to make them valuable to our orchardists 

 in every portion of our state. In the selection of kinds we should 

 be careful not to at once discard those that do not fulfil all the 

 requirements of our expectations. There may be trees that at 

 first bear fruit that is inferior in size, color and quality that may 

 on further trial prove to be valuable. 



Seedling Grapes — Prof. S. B. Green has raised a seedling 

 grape from seed of Beta, or Ebony, that is fully as productive as 

 either and perhaps a little better quality and as hardy as Beta. 

 It fruited for the first time this year. He is propagating it and 

 expects to have stock to send out before long. 



The President : If Mr. Elliot will permit me, I will say that 

 we have now reached the climax, or what I would call the climax, 

 of the meeting in the consideration of these fine seedling apples. 

 All the work of the society centers toward the production of 

 something that is adapted to our state, and here I think we have 

 the most beautiful collection of seedlings I have ever seen, right 

 before us. This committee, which is a highly capable one, and 

 which has acted in a similar capacity at our fairs and horticultural 

 meetings, gives us the benefit of its knowledge in judging these 

 seedlings. Many of us who are producing seedling fruits wish to 

 know what constitute their valuable points, and this is especially 

 true in the case of the apple. Mr. Elliot is chairman of the com- 

 mittee, and I shall call upon him to say something about these 

 apples. 



Mr. Wyman Elliot: I will say this: In judging the apples at 

 our state fair we ran up against this proposition : we have summer 

 varieties, we have fall varieties, early fall varieties, late fall and late 

 winter varieties, making five classes. On account of that, with our 

 present premium list we have been compelled in judging tO' throw 

 out two of the classes usually. We think there should be a revi- 

 sion. Now in speaking of this collection here. Prof. Green and 

 myself judged these apples this morning and scored them ofif 

 on the variation plan, and we found we ran up against this same 

 proposition here. People are inclined to enter varieties in the wrong 

 class. They will enter for winter what should really be a fall 

 variety, but they do not enter for fall what should really be for 

 winter. They are all anxious to get a winter variety. That is what 

 they are all seeking for. It seems to me when we come to judge 

 the apples in the fall list at the state fair, those samples should 

 be set aside and judged at the winter meeting. The samples that 

 are judged at this meeting should be set aside and judged two or 



