298 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



scendeuta of the little crab of Siberia, others are crosses between 

 Americans, Russians and Siberians. The foreigners are becoming- 

 naturalized and marrying and intermarrying with one another and 

 our Americans, and no man liveth who will be able to trace the 

 pomology of the coming generation. Those now on the board are 

 the Wealthy, Okabena, Peerless, Gideon and a few others, together 

 with a hundred or more of the newer creations that are being put on 

 trial in various localities throughout the state. The Wealthy is well 

 known to you all. It is being very generally planted and enjoys an 

 enviable reputation for its sterling quality. Its advent was a boon 

 of Providence to the people of the northwest. It appeared suddenly 

 when the land was filled with croakers and the hope of the stoutest 

 hearted began to fail; it came almost direct to the people before a 

 greedy corporation could make a corner on it; it was propagated 

 and scattered broadcast more rapidly than any other variety ever 

 known and sold at prices so reasonable that every one could afford 

 to give it a trial. Its greatest fault is that the tree is not quite hardy 

 enough to endure some of our most severe winters without serious 

 injur3^ I believe the Okabena to be more hardy and in other re- 

 spects as valuable as the Vv'^ealthy. And now what shall I say of 

 the Peerless? It originated only a few years later than the Wealthy. 

 The original tree has endured far better than the Wealthy and, to the 

 present time, equal to most of the hardy Russians. Of its fruit the 

 public yet know but little. Few growers have seen and fewer 

 tasted it, but it has been so extensively planted within the last four 

 or five years that we must soon know its worth. Few have seen 

 more of it than the writer, and I must say that I have great confi- 

 dence in its future. The McMahon White, of Wisconsin, and the 

 Patten's Greening, of Iowa, have never been cornered or sold at fabu- 

 lous prices and thus have proved valuable aids in bringing about 

 present conditions. 



What is the value of these seedlings? While its season lasts we 

 can get along very well with the old Duchess; then we have to fall 

 back upon our seedlings and the Russian and Ainerican varieties 

 produced here and importations from other states, our home grown 

 apples being available as a part supply for about three months— and 

 for the last few years the seedlings have produced about one-fifth 

 of that supply and, therefore, have saved the state at least $75,000 per 

 year at a very low estimate; and the convenience of having thein at 

 home and fresher and better than imported fruit, should count for 

 something. Counting the time since the venerable Peter M. Gideon 

 the forerunner of Minnesota seedlings, cried "Eureka" in the wil- 

 derness of Minnetonka, because he foresaw the results of the fruiting 

 of the Wealthy, the advance has been slow and sure and at the pres- 

 ent rate of increase will save to our state before the end of the 

 century annually a half million of dollars. 



Pres. J. M. Underwood: Has anyone else anything to com- 

 municate in regard to seedling apples? I think we might also 

 include seedling apples in northern Iowa and Wisconsin. We 

 do not want to bar out the consideration of new seedling varie - 



