STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 141 



him that the De Soto reproduced itself from seed and he had 

 bought many of these young seedlings labeled them DeSoto and 

 sold them. We said to Mr. Eobinson that we would be obliged 

 to differ with this ''enterprising dealing" as to the fact that 

 they would come the same from the pit. We looked about and 

 /ound several that he claimed to be from the i)its of the De Soto 

 in bearing, but none the same as the original, none as large 

 and fine. 



We next visited the orchard of Hon. Wm. Somerville, the 

 leading horticulturist of that section of country, and Mr. Somer- 

 ville showed us some of the most beautiful apples that our eyes 

 ever beheld; these were new Russians that we propose to 

 designate "Russian Wax," unless we can obtain the true name. 

 That we are not alone in our admiration of this new Russian 

 fruit, many who saw them on exhibition at the last State fair 

 will doubtless bear us witness. Mr. Somerville will, we fear, 

 "run to seed" on Russians, and we don't wonder at it after the 

 experience he has had. He marketed about one hundred and 

 fifty bushels of as fine Duchess as one would wish to see, and 

 many other choice varieties — among them Wealthy, Wabasha 

 Rollins' Pippin, Elgin Beauty, Gideon's Nos. 5 and G, 

 Martha, Florence, Brier's Sweet, Sweet Russet, Whitney 

 No. 20, etc., etc. The large variety of beautiful evergreens on 

 these fine grounds are worthy of more than a brief notice. 

 We noticed a singular freak of nature on one of the limbs of his 

 oldest Silver Fir Balsam trees — a fungus some two or three 

 feet in height and about the same in diameter. This fuuo-us is 

 covered with leaves closely resembling the leaves on a yearling 

 balsam in summer, which fall off during the fall or fore part of 

 winter. Mr. Somerville is still of the opinion that the best 

 " insectiverous animal" you can i)lace in an old orchard is the 

 common hog. 



Our next objective point was the Brett Seedlings in Dover 

 township. We found Nos. 1 and 2 bearing quite well, ISTo. 3 

 but few. These trees are too closely shut in by surround- 

 ing trees of willow, wild plums, etc., and we noticed that 

 some of the limbs had died since we visited them about a 

 year ago, and from some unknown cause. Since Mr. Brett left 

 the farm, several years ago, it has been rented, and I think the 

 trees have received but little if any care. But your committee 

 are inclined to believe that a new variety that will bear twoo-ood 

 crops in succession, following such a test winter as we exi^er- 



