HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 101 



that I have set out five acres exclusively to Eussian varieties. I 

 will say that I had some varieties that were not fit for anything; 

 they were nice looking, but were neither fit to eat nor to cook, and 

 I have them replaced with other varieties. My experience so far 

 with the Russians has been very favorable, and the showing I have 

 made at the fairs the past two years have shown they have consid- 

 erable to commend them to the public favor. 



Mr. Barrett. Here are these two gentlemen, Mr. Dartt and Mr. 

 Sonierville, both intelligent men, who, without question, understand 

 their business, and yet their experiences are right diverse. 



President Elliot. Let us have Mr. Peterson's experience first. 

 What has been your experience with the Russians, Mr. Peterson? 

 Have they proved as valuable as you first anticipated? • 

 Mr. Peterson. Some varieties have, and some have not. 

 President Elliot. Go on and state what have, and what have 

 not. 



Mr. Peterson. The Lieby and Ostrokoff are good. The trees 

 are now 16 years old, I believe, and they had never been damaged 

 in any way before 1887, when a few of the trees had some sun- 

 scald. Some of my Russians bear a heavy crop like the Duchess. 

 Mr. Dartt. I want to make an explanation. Now, the report of 

 my friend Mr. Somerville and my own don't seem to agree, at 

 least some of the members think they do not agree. A little under- 

 standing of the situation will make them harmonize a good deal 

 better. I told you that the Tetof sky succeeded pretty well when it 

 was in its prime, just budding into manhood, you might say, just 

 in its vigor, which is the best time for a tree to bear. Mr. Somer- 

 ville' s trees are just in that situation now. They are about eight 

 or ten years old and are just in their prime. Now you wait until 

 they get to be about 18 or 20 years old, and then let them bear ex- 

 haustive crops, and have a hard winter, and they may not turn out 

 any better than my Tetofsky. That point must be understood in 

 order to make these reports harmonize. 



Mr. Somerville. I sent about a peck of those apples to Mi*. 

 Gould, at New Orleans, and he took first premium on those Charl- 

 amoffs of mine. 



Mr. Barrett. My idea is that with all the explanation Mr. Dartt 

 has given, there is a difference to be considered; and perhaps we 

 have not got at the real merits of this important question. The 

 query in my mind is whether there are not certain geological con- 

 ditions of the locality and of the soil that make this disparity. I 

 know in the locality where I live the soil is superior. We have no 

 soil in the Northwest that surpasses it, and yet I notice farmers 



