234 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. A. A. Best : So far as that is concerned they are exactly 

 alike. The original tree is not standing, but those that have been 

 planted were planted for original trees, and there is no question 

 but what they were just what Mr. Gideon called them. I think 

 there is no question but what Mr. Gideon called them the Peter, 

 those that are now called Peter, and so far as the -ditTerence be- 

 tween the tree and the fruit is concerned, I heard Mr. Gideon tell 

 Prof. Green that there were no two apples that differed more 

 widely, and Prof. Green asked him what he meant by that. He 

 explained to Prof. Green, and as Prof. Green is here he can speak 

 about that matter more definitely than 1 can. 



Prof. Green : 1 think when varieties are so nearly alike that the 

 original grower cannot tell them apart that for all practical pur- 

 poses they are one and the same. 1 do not see how you are going 

 to continue to propagate them unless you can tell them apart, 

 and if they will soon lose their identity that will not amount 

 to anything. In the Russian fruit commission we threw out a 

 whole lot of apples, and we decided where we could not dis- 

 tinguish them readily we would group them vmder one head. 

 We had a seedling at the state farm that was one of Mr. Le Due's 

 seedlings ; I believe it was raised at Red Wing, but it has prac- 

 tically identical with the Wealthy, and we threw it out because 

 we said it was practically useless to introduce it as a new variety. 

 I was out to Mr. Gideon's place and talked with him, and I have 

 not been able to make it plain to myself that there is any dif- 

 ference. Mr. Gideon made a reply this way in answer to a ques- 

 tion I asked him : "Mr. Gideon, will you tell me exactly what the 

 difference is between the Peter and the Wealthy?" "Well," he 

 said, "here we have the Peter which is a little more upright and 

 a little lighter in color." He tried to make me think I saw a dif- 

 ference, and finally after talking it over a while he made the re- 

 mark, "It is right smart hard to tell the difference." But I tell 

 you I have a little sentiment in holding the Peter on the list. If 

 it were not for that we would wipe it out pretty quick. I believe 

 Mr. Elliot feels that same sentiment, and I do not believe we are 

 quite ready to take it off. 



Mr. Elliot: Every grower of trees knows this to be a fact, 

 that the same variety of tree does not always form the same seed 

 in shape or color. Now the Wealthy has a little longer seed, it is not 

 so stubbed as the Peter, and there is a difference in the shading, but 

 it is very slight. However, if you cut a quantity of them 

 and study the seeds for some time you will see there is a differ- 

 ence. When you come to the calyx you will find a slight differ- 

 ence, and then also in some of the samples of the fruit I cut 

 there is a marked difference in the apples on the same tree. The 

 Peter has a longer calyx tube than the Wealthy, and there is a 

 very slight difference in the formation of the seed carpels. When 

 you come to the leaf — of course, every leaf on a tree is different 

 from any other lea'f, they are not all alike, and you can always 

 go to a tree and pick out several varieties of leaves, several dif- 

 ferent types, but you take the appearance of the tree and judge 

 from that, and you can always tell the difference in the nursery — 



