70 ANNUAL REPORT 



instance the varieties of winter apj)les we obtained from the 

 Bogdauoff estates in Central Eussia seem quite as hardy as 

 Hibernal, yet their quality is not far behind that of the Baldwin. 

 But I did not intend to talk of varieties. 



Another phase of the subject is that of judicious crossing for 

 the south half of Iowa, and indeed for all parts of our state and a 

 larger part of yours. We made successful crosses last spring of 

 such choice sorts as Jonathan, Grimes Golden, Roman Stem, 

 and Northern Spy, on Hibernal, Lieby, Silken Leaf, the Moscow 

 cross apple, Astrokoff Glass (our 361), and other true ironclads, 

 as reported from all our stations. We shall continue this work, 

 and I hope you will commence it in your state as soon as pos- 

 sible. 



If you cannot get pollen at home of best winter sorts, you can 

 introduce it in ample time from Southern Illinois, Iowa or Indi- 

 ana. Apple pollen we find to germinate perfectly after it ha« 

 been sent in a letter across the continent and then kept in a dry 

 room for two weeks. From my experience and observation in 

 Europe and America, we can rest assured that when the mother 

 stock is a fixed type of undoubted hardiness for a given section, 

 the hardiness of the crossed seedling will, in nine cases out of 

 ten, follow the fixed ironclad mother and the fruit in quality 

 will follow the less perfectly fixed male. The season may also 

 follow the mother type, hence our attempt to use those matur- 

 ing their fruits late. I will only add that artificial crossing is a 

 simple operation which a child may understand and accomplish; 

 hence the day of chance crosses should become a thing of the 

 future. 



I did not intend to say so much. Yours fraternally, 



J. L. BUDD. 



FROM WABASHA COUNTY. 



Plainview, Minn., Jan. 15, 1887. 

 8. D. milman, 



Dear Sir : In reply to you request, would say. We had in 

 this vicinity an abundance of apples. Small fruit was not plenty, 

 owing to the drought. I have the Telford Sweet; it is a crab, it 

 came into bearing this year; it is of fine quality, and we have 

 some of them now. The tree seems to be perfectly hardy. I have 

 a neighbor that has a small nursery; he has from crab seed, eight 



