APPLES. 139 



tion of the condition of the wood with a view of determining whether 

 it was so very immature and whether it was hkely to be injured. 

 The color of the wood did not indicate that it was injured yet, but in 

 the nursery row there were certain varieties that made a large growth 

 this year, some that made a growth of five and one-half feet this 

 year, and I presume you would find the tip of that growth tender 

 this year. It will certainly kill back this year. For myself I wish 

 the leaves were off the trees. 



Mr. J. S. Harris : Is the Patten Greening a favorite and popu- 

 lar apple in northeastern Iowa ? In portions of this state it has done 

 remarkably well for the last three or four years. 



Mr. J. S. Trigg : Well, so far as in me lies I will tell the truth 

 about the Patten Greening. The apple was originated within fif- 

 teen miles of where I live. I was acquainted with the mother tree. 

 I have watched the tree in the nursery row and in the orchard. I 

 believe these to be the facts: So far as I can judge, it is as hardy 

 as a bur oak tree as a tree. I think it is fully as hardy as the Hi- 

 bernal. The bark will remain green and smooth on the Patten 

 Greening long after it has roughened up and assumed another color 

 in other kinds of apple trees. It bears early. Mine have borne at 

 four years from setting. But it sheds its fruit very badly the first 

 two or three years, partly for the reason that the fruit on the young 

 trees grows too large, so large, in fact, that the stem is not sufficient- 

 ly strong to support an apple of that weight. The Patten Green- 

 ing, unless you can keep the tree protected from wind — a wind that 

 will rack the tree will break off the apples — frequently every apple 

 will fall the first year, and this last year may be one-half of them 

 fell. You must determine that point to suit yourselves. It is a 

 short lived apple. It ripens with us about the season of the Wealthy ; 

 it is not any later than the Wealthy, and in making the attempt to 

 keep it I found I could keep the Wealthy much easier than the Pat- 

 ten Greening. I do not call it a high grade apple to eat. Still there 

 are two or three days before it spoils when it is passable as an eating 

 apple. I think, however, it is a superior apple for a cooking apple. 

 I think it makes the finest apple pie as well as roley poley of any 

 apple I know. In the family orchard I would give the Patten 

 Greening a place to the extent of two or three trees, but in the com- 

 mercial orchard I should plant eight or ten Wealthy for every Pat- 

 ten Greening. 



Mr. A. D. Leach : Have you experienced any trouble with the 

 apples rotting on the tree in the summer? 



Mr. J. S. Trigg: Yes, and another thing, the blue jays never 

 touched them. 



Mr. Clarence Wedge : That is on account of the color, is it not ? 



Mr. J. S. Trigg: The bluejays do not bore for color, my friend. 

 (Laughter.) 



Mr. W. L. Taylor : How about the Good Peasant ? 



Mr. J. S. Trigg : I have two Good Peasant trees in my orchard, 

 and if any one will dig them up, root, branch and all, and put in 

 place a little yellow Siberian crab I will give him five dollars ; I 

 have no use for them. I do not think a cow will eat them. 



