230 ANNUAL REPORT 



tree. Yet it stood ou hard-maple land, which has been hitherto 

 thought favorable to the apple and the cherry." 



He further states that the injury to the varieties called hardy 

 "was not in the tops;" that trees top -worked on hardy stock 

 were comparatively unhurt, whereas the same varieties root- 

 grafted failed to show a perfect leaf. He cites the further fact that 

 apple trees which have succeeded best on varied soil and over 

 wide areas of the West, have been from Russian or from crosses 

 of Siberian stock. He thus concludes a somewhat lengthy state- 

 ment on this subject here considered: "We absolutely can not 

 expect to produce a seedling hardy enough to endure our test 

 winters when in bearing, unless it shows in leaf, bark and wood 

 cell, its descent from the crabs, or the Russians, and I do not 

 hesitate to say that the sweepstakes premium winter apple of 

 our society will not come from a crab seed." 



THE RUSSIAN QUESTION. 



We note that our Iowa friends are not as yet in full accord 

 upon this subject. In this connection we cite the following 

 statement of a leading fruit grower, at the Iowa meeting just re- 

 ferred to, that of C. G. Patten, of Charles City, who says; 

 "The coming apples of the ISTorthwest, in my opinion, will be 

 the seedlings we originate on our own soil and in our own cli- 

 mate. If we go at this work methodically and vigorously we 

 will secure the varieties we need sooner than we can sift the 

 great list offered us from Russia." 



In a recent letter received from Prof. Budd he says: "This 

 Russian fruit question has several aspects. In the north half 

 of Iowa the old list drojjped down to Duchess, Tetofsky and 

 Wealthy. I believed six years ago, and am stronger in the belief 

 now, that East Europe had many varieties of really good apples 

 for all- seasons, and many sorts of pear, cherry and plum, which 

 would give perfect satisfaction in the north half of our state and 

 some of these in your State and the north half of Dakota. 

 * * >is "V7e keep a careful ledger account with each variety 

 sent out, and some of our friends who scold at themeanest of the 

 varieties in quality, such as the Hibernal, Lieby and Silken 

 Leaf (No. 327 of department list), will be surprised if they spend 

 a day looking over the reports from our many sub-stations in 

 regard to the perfection of tree and quality of fruit of very many 

 of the new comers from East Russia." 



