468 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
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apple in our apple breeding. The apple is indigenous to a considerable | 
part of European Russia, and this explains why Russian apples as a class are 
more resistant to cold. By cultivating them in regions where hardiness is 
the first essential, we simply take advantage of nature’s work of several 
thousand years in plant acclimation. However, we want long-keeping ca- 
pacity as well—also the effect of the longest period of cultivation under the 
care of skilled fruitmen. For example, the Newtown Pippin, Jonathan and 
Grimes’ Golden. They probably represent the highest point in evolution the 
apple has reached under the hand of man. But in refining the fruit, hardi- 
ness and ability to care for themselves under unfavorable conditions have 
been lost. If possible we should try to grow seedlings combining the hardi- 
ness and freedom from scab of the hardiest Russians, such as Hibernal, with 
the choice quality and long-keeping capacity of the choicest Americans, 
such as those just mentioned. 
This leads to the thought that the coming apple will very likely be raised 
from seed saved in the orchard of some one of our horticultural veterans, 
such as C. G. Patten,:'J. S. Harris, E. H./S. Dartt or R.\P) Speer; wheraes 
large number of varieties of both races are grown. In his experimental or- 
chard Mr. Dartt, if I remember rightly, has industriously gathered together 
something like 800 grafted varieties, besides several hundred seedlings of his 
own. Hives of bees kept in such an orchard would help greatly in the work. 
The pedigree of the seedlings would be unknown at least in part, but the 
apple if hardy would manage to get along very well without any. Seed from 
Mr. Patten’s orchard, containing, as it does, seedlings of seedlings of the 
Duchess and other hardy varieties, ought to give the desired variety, if in- 
deed it is not already in existence among the multitude of new seedlings 
coming on at Mr. Patten’s place. 
In all our discussions about American apples, let us not forget that all 
were originally imported either from west or east Europe. The only true 
American apple is the wild crab. 
Many half-hardy and tender varieties of the apple can be grown in a 
limited way much farther north than is usually supposed by top-grafting 
upon hardy stocks. In the spring of 1897 on the college grounds at Brook- 
ings, a number of choice American varieties of the standard apples, and 
some large-fruited varieties of the wild crab, were top-grafted in the old or- 
chard, planted in 1888. This year I gathered some Grimes’ Golden from a 
Hibernal tree, and some Ben Davis from a tree of Gideon’s seedling crabs. 
To be sure, a severe wind storm in August blew off the fruit prematurely, 
but the seeds appear plump, as a rule, and have been carefully saved. A test 
top-killing winter, like that of 1884-85, will freeze off all the tender grafts 
down to the point of union with the hardy top, but in the intervals we can 
very likely secure fruit. In my visit to Mr. Peter M. Gideon in the fall of 
1898, he told me that he had this plan in mind for some years and had sent 
to Missouri and elsewhere for late winter varieties and had top-grafted them 
into the top of hardy varieties. This orchard should be most carefully 
lcoked after by this society, and every seed saved, at least from the late- 
keeping varieties. Mr. Gideon said that a seedling in his experience was 
apt to be of about the same season as that of the parent from which the seed 
was saved. 
Mr. Clarence Wedge recently reported raising some fine Grimes’ Golden 
from top-grafts. Every seed should be sown. We are sure of one-half of the 
