REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON GIDEON SEEDLINGS. 35 



several rows of trees of Russians and natives, the Wealthy and 

 Peter leading- as to productiveness and profit. 



Orchard No. 4 is quite young, with a very few of the trees bear- 

 ing for the first time this season. These are mostly varieties of his 

 own raising, I should judge from the fruit growing upon them 

 this year. There possibly may be many kinds of long keeping var- 

 ieties planted among his own seedlings, hoping in this way to obtain 

 seed from which he expected to produce the coming long-keeping 

 apple which we are so anxious to have. 



We have been well paid for our time and trouble in visiting 

 the Gideon orchards, in learning somewhat of the value of this 

 work w^hich he has left unfinished for others to take up and carry 

 forward, not onlv for the benefit of our own state, but of the whole 

 United States and Canada. For northwestern pomology to receive 

 the largest returns from this unfinished experiment these orchards 

 should be critically examined by those competent to judge of the 

 merits of their production for several years. 



At our last state fair there were exhibited from the Gideon 

 orchards over 150 varieties of seedling and grafted fruits, many of 

 them of high quality and all very much admired for their high color- 

 ing and shapeliness- 



One idea further and I shall close. The more I consider and 

 examine into this experimental work of Mr. Gideon and think of its 

 possibilities, I feel there should be some way provided or arrange- 

 ment made to obtain this property and the orchard-ground for an 

 object lesson of the persistent energy so devotedly done for the 

 lienefit of the coming generation of growers of fruit in our state. 

 What better use could a few thousand dollars be put to for foster- 

 ing this fast improving industry than in acquiring full and unlimited 

 possession of these orchards, and engrafting the most modem ideas 

 in its future growth and management, and I hope some wealthy 

 friend of horticulture will earnestly consider, in his beneficence, the 

 honor it would be to him to come forward and provide enough 

 means to purchase this property and place its care and management 

 with the Central Experiment Station, with the State Horti- 

 cultural Society as advisers for the next few years, that a 

 concise record may be kept of what is good and decide 

 what varieties are best, what show qualities worthy of furth- 

 er propagation and 'dissemination. Those varieties that do 

 not possess quality of fruit but have hardiness to recom- 

 mend them for stock purposes, should be top-grafted with other 

 good varieties, and in some few^ instances, perhaps, they might be 



