STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 279 



the way of originating, by crossing, pears of excellent quality for 

 the extreme Northwest. 



The cherries of this region have had a historic record for centu- 

 ries. In Vladimir one hundred and fifty miles east and north of 

 Moscow, they are grown in quantity too surprising for popular 

 belief in our valley. Though somewhat smaller than the best 

 Griottes of the south parts of the plain, some of the Vladimir varie- 

 ties are nearly sweet and of decidedly good quality for any use. 

 That they can be grown as far north as Lake Winnipeg, in Mani- 

 toba, we do not for a moment doubt. 



Plums approaching our Damson in quality, and much resem- 

 bling it in size, form and color, are grown in quantity in this far 

 northern section of the steppes. That they will prove an acquisi- 

 tion to the extreme Northwest, is beyond doubt, ifthecurculio will 

 respect them to the extent of giving us an occasional crop. 



These hasty suggestions as to the adaptation of the fruits of 

 special portions of the greatest steppe section of the world to special 

 belts across the prairie states of the West, must of course be of a 

 general character. In practice they would be modified by the 

 varying soil and climate of the east and west portions of each belt, 

 and the belts would overlap with special changes of soil, elevation, 

 exposure, etc. The only purpose is to outline some profitable lines 

 of work for the experimental stations now in process of organiza- 

 tion and development in all the states of our valley. We have 

 learned that the process of acclimation is a tediously slow one with 

 our trees, and I believe our people are about ready to encourage 

 the policy universally accepted by the European governments in 

 the management of their colonies viz: The introduction of cereals, 

 grasses, fruits, shrubs, etc., from like climates and soils if they can 

 be found on the earth's surface. 



With the limited pecuniary means at command we are doing 

 what we can in the line indicated on the grounds of the Iowa Ag- 

 recultural College at Ames. We have now growing specimen 

 plants of the apple, pear, cherry, plum, apricot, peach, juneberry, 

 walnut, ornamental trees, shrubs, etc., from every part of the great 

 east plain of Europe I have named. Their summer and winter be- 

 havior for the past two years in our climate has been exactly in 

 accordance wibh what we might expect from their relative position 

 in their natal home. To briefly illustrate : the leaf of the Rich- 

 mond cherry has been defective with us for the last two years, and 

 last winter the trees were killed to the snow line. On the other 

 hand, the Griottes and the Russian Glaskirke varieties have main- 



