STATE HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 331 



ing this want have been conducted by private citizens and many 

 creditable seedlings obtained — notably Gideon's Wealthy. But 

 there is yet to be found a single late-keeping winter apple of 

 even medium quality among the whole list of seedlings which 

 will endure our severe test winters. 



It was deemed best for this experimental department to take 

 up the Eussian apples and endeavor to determine their hardi- 

 ness, season, quality and adaptability to our climate. It had 

 been known for many years that the climate and soil of Central 

 Eussia corresponded in many particulars to that of the great 

 central basin of America. 



Prof. Budd, since his visit to Eussia, has made large importa- 

 tions of what he regards as their best sorts for American plant- 

 ing. Other importations of greater or less value have also been 

 made, so that there are probably over five hundred varieties of 

 Eussian apples in this country to-day. The great majority of 

 these will not prove equal to our need; many come from the coast 

 sections of Eussia; others, again, have grown where cooler sum- 

 mers were the rule, and thus their fruit is found to ripen too 

 early here. It is not probable that all will be found adapted to 

 the requirements of this State, but if only one out of all the 

 immense list we have is found to possess the necessary qualities, 

 the expense and labor will have been amply repaid. 



In the spring of 1885 we received from Prof. Budd cions of 

 Eussian apples. Discarding all injured varieties, a list was 

 secured comprising 179 varieties of apple grafts. 



These were root grafted at Ames between the twentieth of 

 March and first of April. They were packed in sand two weeks, 

 then repacked in sawdust and shipped to Minneapolis, and con- 

 sidering their rough usage a very good stand was secured. 



In addition to these root grafts, fifty-six varieties of two-year- 

 old trees were obtained of Prof. Budd at the same time. The 

 experimental orchard stands on an almost level piece of prairie, 

 with a low wet spot in the centre — exposed on all sides to the 

 winds. 



Of fifty-two Duchess apple trees — three years old, planted at 

 the same time in the same orchard as the above, but five died, — 

 or not quite ten per cent., — which would indicate that not more 

 than one in three of the Eussiaus is as hardy as Duchess. The 

 past winter shows the following result: Total number of trees 

 set, 114; total varieties, 57; per cent of trees dead, 322. 



In this list those trees which up to the present time (Decem- 



