152 ANNUAL REPORT 



but ought not to be set generally in the N'orthwest. Fameuse 

 was hardy also in many localities, but he was not growing it in 

 the nursery. 



On motion of Mr. Cutler the "black list," as read, was 

 adopted. 



Mr. Harris offered the following, which was adopted. 



Resolved, That the press of Minnesota be requested to publish the so-called 

 "blacklist" and tovarn the people Irom purchasing trees from every un- 

 known tree agent. 



OUR SEBDLIN^G AND RUSSIA!^ APPLES. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE STATE EXPERIMEN- 

 TAL FRUIT FARM. 



By Peter M. Gideon, Excelsior. 



It is wtth pleasure that I comply with your request to give my 

 views on Russian and seedling apples. The seedling has been 

 my hobby for the last sixteen years, and the success attained 

 gives me hope that not far in the future the cold Northwest will 

 be one of the leading apple-growing districts of North America. 



Twenty-three years ago I planted a few Cherry crab seeds, 

 obtained of Albert Emerson, Bangor, Maine, and from those 

 seeds I grew the Wealthy apple; in seven years it fruited, and 

 that fruit convinced me that the true road to success was in cross- 

 ing the Siberian crab with the common apple, and on that line I 

 have operated ever since, with results surpassing my most san- 

 guine anticipations. I did not suppose that in the short space 

 of sixteen years, the time since the Wealthy first fruited, that I 

 should have more than twenty first-class apples — as good as the 

 world can produce — in succession from the first of August to 

 March, and in hardiness of tree surpassing all known varieties 

 of the common large apple. But it is done, and in the doing the 

 problem is solved as to what to do and how to do it, with the ma- 

 terial at hand with which to attain yet greater results. At the 

 outset it was test and try; but now that the problem is solved it is 

 onward, with great results certain. 



When I say we have twenty first-class apples, that does not 

 include all that are worthy of cultivation by any means. And 

 now, with such results, and only a few thousand trees fruited at 

 the end of sixteen years, what may we not expect at the end of 



