VARIETIES OF APPLES FOR CENTRAL MINNESOTA. 155 



strongly of that opinion myself, for the average farmer cannot do 

 better than to save seeds from Duchess apples and perhaps a few 

 others, but if he can find Duchess growing alone where there is no 

 possible chance for cross-fertilization he will do well to save the 

 seeds from the largest apples which mature and hang on the trees 

 the longest. I have a lot of such seedlings myself that have been 

 in bearing a number of years. An Illinois nurseryman was at my 

 place last summer and stood looking at those trees and he seemed 

 to be quite carried away with them, and he made this remark : "What 

 better way can the average farmer do to secure a good orchard than 

 to take your plan and plant seeds from the Duchess apple?" We 

 have in our county some sweet seedlings. I have among that lot of 

 Duchess seedlings no sweet ones, but Mr. Miller, the originator of 

 the Peerless, has upon his place a tree that has been bearing a good 

 many years. It produces a sweet apple about the size of the Golden 

 Russet and one of the best sweet apples for eating and baking that I 

 have ever tasted. I do not think it came from the seeds of a sweet 

 apple, because he saved seeds from his own orchard at that time, 

 and he had no sweet varieties in bearing. I think we had better go 

 a little slow in recommending trees that have not passed through 

 the winter of 1884-5. except seedlings. 



Mr. R. H. L. Jewett : I would like to take your time for a 

 minute or two. It is hardly fair, it seems to me (taking the gentle- 

 man who has just spoken at his word), it is hardly fair to condemn 

 the Patten Greening. It is all right for him to praise and recommend 

 the Haas, since it has been tested. I do not know what a test winter 

 is unless last winter or the previous winter were examples. I have 

 fifty of the Patten Greening set in an exposed position, the snow was 

 l)lown off, no mulch and no special care taken of them, and they came 

 through without the terminal bud being injured, and as handsome 

 as any tree I have ever seen. I am not speaking of the Haas and 

 the Plumb Cider. I could not compare the two, but I am stating 

 what I do know to be so of a certain apple I am acquainted with. 

 An inquiry was made about the University apple.' I have some of 

 those trees growing, and every tree made a splendid growth. They 

 have the right kind of limbs, are of a dark color and are strong and 

 vigorous growers. I wish some of these older horticulturists would 

 tell me what a test winter is. I know thousands of trees disappeared 

 last winter. 



Mr. A. D. Leach : I want to say a word about the Patten 

 Greening. I have the University, possible the oldest in this part of 

 the state. It was sent me by Mr. Patten eight or nine years ago. 

 The University has kept well with me. It has borne some for three 

 }ears. It had about a half bushel to a bushel this year and about 

 the same a year ago. It is an apple of medium size, a firm, smooth 

 apple, with very little red, but it colors a little where the sun strikes 

 it; it is mostly yellow and light green, and I consider it. so far as I 

 have had a chance to test it, one of the hardiest trees I have. It is 

 certainly the handsomest tree in my whole orchard. 



The Patten Greening I have had about the same time. I got 

 them, I think, the same vear with the other trees. They have never 



