App^ 



es. 



PRODUCTIVENESS OF HARDY VARIETIES OF APPLES 



COMPARED. 



D. F. AKIN, FARMINGTON. 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen — This subject was assigned 

 me, and, of course, not being my own choice, you cannot expect 

 the subject to be as well handled as it might have been if I had 

 been at liberty to choose one that suited my fancy. However. 

 I am willing to do my share towards entertaining the crowd of 

 which I am one of the component parts. 



The list of hardy varieties of apples is small, being composed 

 of only four or five generally known and accepted varieties which 

 are really iron-clad, although we hope that there are many seedlings 

 now bearing which will prove to be as hardy and productive as the 

 very best now admitted to be proven hardy by trial. 



The story of comparative productiveness is limited to those now 

 tested by years of trial. Of these few, of all varieties yet tried in this 

 latitude, the Duchess is placed at the head of the list by most per- 

 sons, but I have a variety which is ahead of the Duchess for hardi- 

 ness and all 'other desirable qualities that go to make up an apple 

 tree for everybody to plant, as hardy as a bur oak and as free 

 from blight, will stand grafting or trimming, seeming to recuperate 

 from every wound with renewed vigor, being one of the best stocks for 

 grafting or budding that I have tried — and I have six varieties on one 

 of these trees, viz.: Blushed Colville, Okabena, Russet, Virginia crab 

 a seedling and Peerless, which, when they all bear, will make a fine 

 picture. I have ten of these trees set in 1872, by the name of Hebron* 

 trimmed so the lower limbs are six feet high. Some experts call it 

 a hybrid on account of its size; however, it is an extra good apple 

 and an unusual bearer. 



The Minnesota is a good bearer of fine size and quite productive^ 

 blight in but late in coming into bearing and not subject to 

 my grounds. The Tetofsky, an early Russian variety, is hardy in 

 tree, a semi-annual bearer and blights badly at the spurs. Its pro- 

 ductiveness in the odd years compares favorably with that of any 

 other variety, but it comes late into bearing. For early bearing and 

 great productiveness, the Wealthy, with care, takes the diploma, 

 often showing fruit at six years old from the root graft. With plenty 

 of fertilizing and judicious thinning of the fruit, it will give a good 



