A HORTICULTURAL ENTHUSIAST. 417 



A good descriptiou of this hybrid appeared in the April number 

 of the "Horticulturist," page 132, and ns far as I had an opportunity 

 to judge I can heartily endorse its candor and fairness. The origi- 

 nal tree is now about eight or nine feet high and is just closing its 

 fifth year of growth. Unfortunately, as Mr. Knudson reports, a se- 

 vere hailstorm earlj' in the season, cleaned off nearly all the fruit. A 

 few only remained by which its (juality could be tested. It partakes 

 somewhat, of the characteristics of both parents, in that it has lost 

 almost entirely the astringency of the sand cherry and has gained 

 a little the flavor and consistency of the Miner plum. The fruit 

 ia dark red in color and a trifle less than one inch in diameter. The 

 tree is one of exceeding vigor, and even on that e.xcessively hot 

 day, in a dry time, when neighboring trees were showing by droop- 

 ing foliage the effects of such trying conditions, this hybrid cherry 

 in the aggressive erectness and spread of every leaf proclaimed its 

 extraordinary vitality. The value of this, and similar hardy crosses, 

 in such a climate as that in which this originated cannot be ques- 

 tioned. 



Aside from this seedling, there is much of value to note on the 

 grounds of Mr. Kuudson. He has the true spirit and methods of the 

 enthusiast. In a garden of perhaps one-half an acre, surrounding 

 his house, he has growing a great variety of all kinds of fruit appar- 

 ently worth trying in this climate, including many seedlings and 

 hybrids. Though scattered over the grounds with little method but 

 with an evident purpose of utilizing every foot of space, the surface 

 is kept scrupulously clean of grass and weeds. Mr. Knudson is 

 evidently on the best of terms with every tree or plant on his 

 grounds and handles and talks of them in much the same spirit a 

 parent feels for the little ones who have been placed in his keeping. 

 It is a kindly and earnest spirit that augurs well for results. 



The list of varieties includes some thirty named sorts of apples, a 

 number of pears, some forty of plums and many of native cherries, 

 including the sand cherries, and a goodly number of small fruits 

 and grapes. 



Mr. Knudson's location is not a particularly favorable one. The 

 country thereabouts is a gently rolling prairie, and while his place 

 is on the higher ground, it is only a few feet, ten or fifteen, above 

 the general level of the business part of the town, two blocks away — 

 a location no better, certainly, than most of the farmers in that sec- 

 tion might have for such a purpose. The oldest apple trees noticed 

 were perhaps ten or twelve years old and comparatively healthy 

 and vigorous. Limited time gave no opportunity to visit the sur- 

 rounding country, but judging by what was seen there is very 

 much to encourage the prospective fruit planter in that part of our 

 state. 



