346 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



county. There was one there that he pronounced the best apple 

 at the Wisconsin state fair, and the appearance of the apple 

 was such that I made up my mind before winter set in I would 

 visit those trees, and I did two weeks ago. I told Mr. Zettel — 

 he has a large orchard, the largest collection of seedlings 

 I ever saw together — I told him he could grow things 

 we could not grow in our i3art of the country and in 

 Minnesota. The scions I got there I wanted to be tested in our 

 country and in Minnesota. I think he is a very conscientious 

 man. He said, "I don't want you to take those; I have not 

 fruited them long enough so I can recommend them." I told 

 him, "The Duchess has fruited with me without injury for 

 twenty-five years. I will take the Duchess for comparison. I 

 do not want a scion unless you know it to be as hardy as the 

 Duchess."' What we will get out of them for the Northwest I 

 do not know. I have got one variety that Mr. Zettel calls his 

 own, and I notice he is propagating that, he is raising young 

 trees from that variety. I have some of those apples in my 

 satchel. I think the quality is very good. 1 think we are go- 

 ing to get something there that is valuable; still I would act 

 on the same basis that Professor Green does. We have to try 

 them very thoroughly. 



xMr. Harris said last summer he was looking for the coming 

 apple, and he believed the time was coming when he would get 

 it, and I believe I am on the track of it. There is a man in 

 Wisconsin who has an orchard of Duchess that have been 

 fruiting for twenty-five years. He told me a man in Maine had 

 a seedling that was better than anything we had here. I will 

 give you the description he gave me. It is almost Harris' 

 ideal apple. After he gave me this description, I offered to 

 exchange for anything we had in the West. He said he would 

 not exchange again. He says it is an apple the tree of which 

 is hardier than the Duchess, the quality is better than the 

 Wealthy, it will keep two months longer than the Wealthy, 

 and if that does not come pretty close to Harris' idea, I don't 

 know what will. He said he would send me a dozen scions for 

 a dollar, and he sent me one of the apples. I wrote him to 

 send me apples to bring to this meeting, and my wifesays it is 

 "a fool and his money soon parted" 



Mr. Harris: Now, many of you think I am a little crazy on 

 seedling apples, as Mr. Lord is plum crazy, but the sooner we 

 get anything on record the better; that is the reason I 

 mentioned those new seedlings that are good for something. 



