STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 277 



Though we have failed with the French grapes, the north- 

 eastern varieties are well-worthy of trial, as their foliage will stand 

 our air quite as well as our native Labrusca. We saw on the 

 Volga "many tons of dried grapes from northern Persia and Bo- 

 kara, which were infinitely superior to any of our home sorts. 

 Where they will endure the winters they are eminently worthy 

 of trial. 



In this region no hardier peach is found than those we have. 

 The coming peach for the Missouri belt is from northwestern 

 China. While equal in fruit to our best sorts, it is able to endure 

 greater extremes of temperature. 



The belt across the Mississippi basin corresponding to southern 

 Iowa, may experiment with the same races of all the fruits, and 

 from a portion of the same great plain, hut farther to the east. 



The "provinces of south Russia, east of Poland to Kiew, are 

 well supplied with such choice fruit, and the soil and climate are 

 as nearly identical with ours as they well could be. 



Many of the varieties of the Galicia belt will not be found, but 

 their places are taken by others but slightly, and if at all, lower in 

 the scale of value. The most positive change is with the pear. 

 Many of the best dessert varieties here become tender, unproduct- 

 tive and short lived, and their places are taken by slightly coarser 

 varieties of the Bergamot and Grucha type. The best of the Gri- 

 otte cherries are still found, and many varieties of the Glaskirke, 

 and a form of the Jeans much like our Dukes, but with different 

 leaf and a lower, more spreading top. The juglans regia is still 

 productive, but is sometimes injured by the test winters. 



For the belt across the valley corresponding to central and 

 northern loiva^ the fruits of the black soil prairies of the great 

 provinces of Orel, Koursk, Varonesh and Saratov, in central Russia, 

 will best meet the requirements of soil and climate. Apples, pears, 

 cherries and plums are yet found of such size, appearance and 

 quality as would surprise any American horticulturist suddenly 

 set down in the midst of one of their great commercial orchards. 

 The visitor will rarely find a variety of any of these fruits which 

 he found six hundred miles eastward. The very few exceptions, 

 such as Autonovka, and Loogfield apples, and Bessemianka 

 and Red Bergamot pears, we are told at once are strays from 

 central Russia, thriving equally well in a less extreme climate, as 

 does our Duchess apple. Excellent forms of the Griotte cherries 

 are still found and many varieties of the low-growing, sweet cherries 

 and Amarels are grown, with greater or less satisfaction, depending 



