342 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



would take too long. In apple seedlings some say that seedlings 

 from A'ermont apple seed is hardier than those from the French crab. 

 I have tried both and see no practical difference, as both were dead 

 after the winter of 1898-9. In reality both belong to the same spe- 

 cies, Pynis mains. In the case of Vermont apple seedlings, they 

 can be traced back less than three hundred years ago to England, 

 Germany or possibly to France itself, from which the French crab 

 was imported. I see noi use in planting Ben Davis, Bellflower or 

 other southern apples at the north. All of these trees date back a 

 few generations to the milder coast climate of western Europe. 

 There is no inherent hardiness enough for the north. There is no 

 rate of apple that will stand our winter as well as those of the 

 Hibernal type and some other regions. If you have a dead Hibernal 

 I would like to see what kind of treatment it received. The apple 

 is indigenous to Asia and to eastern and western Europe, hence the 

 various races of apple vary much in hardiness. Hence if Professor 

 Budd had done nothing else than to introduce a hardy race of the 

 apple for the far north it would be glory enough for any man, but 

 he did far more than that for northwestern horticulture, and his 

 name and fame are secure. 



I have several thousand apple seedlings coming on, many of 

 them cross-bred. If we should keep within De Candolle's law we 

 would not go far astray for our seedling work. We should insist 

 at all times on perfect hardiness. 



Mr. Elliot : You would then plant seed from the hardiest va- 

 rieties only ? 



Prof. Hansen : Yes, I certainly do believe in it. I think it is 

 useless to plant seeds from the tender southern and eastern apples 

 that are shipped north. Did not Peter M. Gideon prove this? Ten 

 years after planting a bushel of apple seeds he had two trees left, 

 and they were Siberian crabs. Do not lose sight of the fact that 

 such winters as 1855-6, 1872-3, 1884-5 ^^^Y come again. 



E. A. Smith : Would you include seed of the Malinda apple ? 



Prof. Hansen : I would not advise planting self-pollinated or 

 inbred seeds of Malinda, as it is really of Vermont origin, dating 

 back to England. We would not know the varieties that were in 

 the original orchard in Vermont. The Alalinda came to Minnesota 

 as a one-year seedling, as I understand. You cannot tell the pedi- 

 grees of these apples in most instances. Mr. Perkins of Red Wing 

 has a large number of promising seedlings of Malinda, but as they 

 come from a mixed orchard containing some hardy varieties, such 

 as Duchess, they may have had true hardiness bred into them. 

 What is the pedigree of the Wealthy? It may turn out to be sim- 

 ply a cross of Fameuse and Duchess. 



Captain Reed : Have you gone back on the Siberian crab apple 

 seedlings you advocate for stocks? 



Prof. Hansen : Not in the least. The Siberian crab seedlings 

 are native of a climate where the temperature goes to 50° below 

 zero, with the ground bare of snow, and will stand anything in the 

 way of climate we can furnish in Minnesota or the Dakotas or the 

 Canadian Xortliwest. This region is the Trans- Baikal section of 



